Shattered
by KrimzonGuard Bites BaronP
Summary: Dana finds her answers in the form of a piece of paper. AlexxOc. END.
1. Chapter 1

The year was 2008, a year the world would never forget- a year no one wanted to remember.

_My name.. My name is Alex Mercer.._

That year, mankind experianced Hell on Earth.

_Six months ago, someone released a lethal virus in Penn Station.._

That year, mankind saw death, worse than ever before.

_Today, more than 10 million people are dead, many whose lives were taken with my own two hands..._

No one ever expected what would happen next, for the Manhattan incident was just the beggining...

Winter had set in with full force, refusing to end it seemed. Children were bundled up tight, little noses runny and red as the chilly evening air bit at them. Their parents hurried them along as crowds flowed unevenly in a single direction. Some cried for the times of old, others complained about the harsh tempartures, well below the normal for a dark spring night in Manhattan. Many felt the prolonged winter was the result of an unexplained and unexpected detonation of a multi-ton nuclear device out in the ocean. The luke warm celebrations of the 2009 New Year were all but forgotten in this time of recovery. The only remaining thought was how the world had changed almost overnight. Once news of a deadly viral infection hit the airwaves, there was no stopping the fear that clenched the minds of a world at large. New yorkers were hit the hardest, of course. Times Square, a once bustling and jammed busy intersection now lay in ruin. Neon signs that illuminated the night for miles were darker than ever before. Much of the excitement the city held had all but died, with it the world. This was something far worse than the Terrorist bombings of 2001-- far far worse. This was an attack New York wouldn't recover from.

Crowds continued to hurry below, pushing and shoving as military choppers hovered several feet overhead, calling out over their loud speakers. Head North they said. Stay together they said. We have the cure. Rubbish, thought one solitary being. A pair of still icy blue eyes watched the blobs of bundled flesh bags parade closer and closer to the only open bridge- closer to the only ray of light they saw with their feeble naive eyes. The military dogs barked louder, men on the ground armed with M-16's like cattle prods to hurry along the herds of terrified and cold people.

His face twisted into a mocking snide grin, inhaling two full lungs of that fridgid air before exhaling through his nose as his nostrils flared. Clouds of moisture froze within inches of the man's stiff face. The density of the crowds had dimished, the evacuation was almost complete. He was well aware of the military's latest plan, long before it went into action. It was stupid plan he thought- Sure, let these people off of the Manhattan Quarentine zone, let one infected slip by, then watch the world burn, he thought to himself aloud. Overhead, an un-manned device hovered loomingly, its fan buzzing noisily to keep it suspended weightlessly in the air. Atop its donut shaped support sat a glistening green LED. Quickly it flashed yellow, then red. The man expected the device to face him, but instead did not.A foot soldier leapt into action, plowing into the crowd as the un-manned detector pointed a red lazer at a single target- a solitary women. Three helpless children, barely old enough to form sentences, clung to her tattered coat. The man winced, gritting his teeth as he turned to prevent from watching yet another death. His ears heard every sound.. her scream of fright, children calling out to her. Then suddenly, a loud crack of a ..

There was nothing.

The crowd stood still, only to simaltaniously break into a loud ruckess as the Military quickly hurried them along. The limp body of the once mother-of-three was dragged away and tossed uncaringly into the back of a waiting dump truck. Hundreds of other bodies lay rotting and frozen, the heavy hydrualic crusher forcing the garbage deeper to allow space for more bodies. The children were hauled towards a bus by military before being stuffed inside like sardines in a can. The door shut and the bus putted along, north to the bridge.

There were only a few more blocks before he would reach the bridge. For a moment, something averted his attention- a vibration coming from the back pocket of his tattered and bloodstained denim jeans. His chilled hand slipped inside to clasp the object responsible.

"Alex, its Dana. I'm across." Said the female voice from the other side of the line. Alex was thankful to hear her voice, though his ginuine lack of show of emotion didnt say otherwise. Regardless, he was enthralled, thin lips slipping into a subtle smile.

"I'll be over there soon. Stay safe, Dana. And give Ragland my regards." Alex lowered the device, shutting its face before placing it in its respective fabric throne. Once again his cold eyes scanned the crowd. Another few blocks and he would be sealed in. He had to leave, Tonight. Otherwise, the island would be systematically scanned and remaining survivors eliminated. With the military distracted by the evacuation, he could escape safely and flee to the mainland unnoticed. Survival to him was a biological imperitive.

Stepping closer to the edge of the roof which he perched atop, he shifted his weight forward and let his body drop noisily down onto the pavement. A newspaper drifted by, carried by the bitter winter wind before disappearing around a corner. Another BlackHawk roared overhead, the pilot calling out over his loudspeaker to move along. No one seemed to notice the devastating sound his body made against the concrete which now lay beneath him in a shattered circular pattern. Turning to the east, he would spot a foot soldier trodding alongside the crowds from behind a barrier.

Closer and closer he creapt, booted feet making no sound against that icy pavement, when finally he was within inches of the soldier. Quickly he grabbed the man, hand firmly clamped over his mouth, the other thrust painfully into the man's lower back. Rapidly the life drained from the unsuspecting soldier's eyes, Alex' stout shape melding into a mass of black stringy material that soaked into and fused with the soldier's corpse. Life returned to the man's eyes, but bore a completely different personality. His escape was most certainly ensured, granted he could maintain the guise of a military footman. Block after block passed and the heavily guarded entrance to the bridge grew closer and closer. His eyes focused intently on the one thing that could sniff him out. At the gates and in the sky were more of the unmanned and stationary detection devices. A stationary model flashed red, and a young boy was pulled aside, shoved roughly behind a black curtain, just as a bright glow and a loud crack of an M-16 sent a chilling sensation down the collective spines of the remaining pedestrians.

Finally, it came time for the wayward soldier to break formation. Saluting another soldier before making haste beyond the gates, he directed his attention towards a support column for the massive suspension bridge. Once in the protective safety of the darkness beneath, the frostbitten skin rippled and reverted to its original form. Alex stood still, back to the brick stucture as a tank approached and sped past from a nearby underlying road. His presence was left unknown, and with all out of sight, Alex proceeded up. A task that would normally challenge even the world's greatest climber was effortless to him as his palms gripped the concrete with the force of the jaws of life. Silently he ascended the uneven face of the support, reaching an I-beam truss amongst hundreds more that supported the load above. Another alert raised, and another gun cracked off. Slowly but surely, the military was systematically eliminating the infected, not allowing them to leave the quarentine zone.

The military, like the virus, was uncaring as to who they eliminated.

Alex knew all too well though. No ordinary man was dumb enough to travel along the dangerous system of trusses and catwalks that sprawled beneath the distant metal giant. No Ordinary many of course. Alex was anything but ordinary. A set of powerful legs gave way to an inhuman leap, hands latching onto the metal as he pulled himself up. Out of sight and out of range of any military or detection, he was home free.

And the with agility and grace of water, Alex moved from truss to truss, leaping and vaulting from each structure like it was a playground. At halfway, he could see the other shore through the dense fog that engulfed the waterway between Manhattan and the Mainland. With the strength of a tiger, he launched himself forward onto the support closest to the shore before throwing himself violently into a most peculiar stunt. As if weightless like paper, his body came to a graceful hover above the ground behind a shipping container, booted feet slamming hard against the frozen weeds. Turning to look behind, he could see the amazing orange glow of Manhattan. Times Square, GenTek, BlackWatch, the Infection, Manhattan Island.. it was all behind him now.

And thanks to BlackWatch, the world would never know that he was the culprit. To the world at large, Alex Mercer was dead.

And so, he walked along the cold New York sidewalks, passing closed shops and stores in search of his sister, and a new lease on life.

TO BE CONTINUED.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning came as any morning did, slowly and calmly over the ill smoggy horizon of urban New York. A somewhat matching pair of barely surviving curtains did little to stop the sun's vivid rays from creeping in and sneaking over the old wooden boards, up the bed posts to the matress, and finally to the face of a sleeping man.

Or at least she thought he was sleeping. He could feel the warmpth over his bare back now. It was a startling change to the compartively fridgid room. With a groan, he rolled only to see his sister watching him in silence.

"How long have you been standing there?" He would question, sitting up before tossing off the moth eaten sheets to swing his legs over the edge and to the floor. Wiggling all ten piggies in that warm sunlight was a refreshing change. He had sleapt in his jeans, though he didnt recall even taking his jacket off before passing out the night before, yet there it was tossed lazily aside along with the tattered hoody, and the long since stained white buttondown. Now that he thought about it, the sunlight on his skin felt refreshing, certainly a burst of life. It was one of those long since forgotten simple pleasure of life one doesn't take for granted until its actually gone.

"Long enough to know you've been staring at the cieling for the last ten minutes." Dana replied, arms folded lazily 'neath her bossom. Alex rubbed his forehead in agitation, regretting standing.

"I didn't get any sleep last night." he muttered low, not seeming to bother that the cold had begun to nibble at his bare skin despite the warm sunlight streaming in through the east facing window.

"Nightmares?" Dana's soft smile faded into the look of a concerned mother. She had always looked up to and after her bigger brother, and she knew that now more than ever, he would need her support. Her inquiry was met with a solumn nod. As she watched her brother stand and turn to reach for the tossed clothing, something caught her eye.

It started at the base of his neck, ending just above the rim of his boxers. It stretched from shoulder blade to shoulder blade, with the most defined portion located directly over his shoulder blade. To her, it resembled scar tissue of a burn patient. Wrinkles upon wrinkles around one centralised circular crater. She wondered if Alex even knew that was there.

"Has your back been bothering you Alex?" She approached, hand raised in curiosity as if to touch the seemingly harmless tissue.

"No, Why?" he peeked at her from over his shoulder while slipping one arm into the filthy buttonup, ignoring the fact that it absolutely wreaked. Sure he had washed it at Dana's hideout, but that barely dented the pungent stench practically oozing from the fibers.

"Was this where they tried to inject you with the Anti-virus?" Her fingers made contact with the skin. Its texture was much like that of burned or scarred flesh. Soft but firm. He jumped before swallowing and clenching his eyes shut.

"Yeah. That's what Ragland helped me cure." He reached behind with the other arm and tugged at the other sleeve, pulling it on. He thought for a moment, thinking back to the few times he found himself observing his own body as it morphed. To the best of his recollection, however fuzzy and unstable it was, he didnt have any kind of scarred tissue along his back.

"I don't remember that being there when I washed your clothes back in Manhat-" Hearing the floorboards from the hallway creak, Dana turned to face someone new.

"Dana are you up here? Oh there you are." The doorway offered a perfect frame to an older gentleman, his slightly overweight body adorned in an old burgandy robe, pinstriped night pants and an old pair of slippers. "Your brother's awake I see."

"Oh hello Hank." Dana gave a small wave as the man stepped in. The very air about him was one of unwavering happiness. Rosy rounded cheeks framed a pepper grey mustache well as silvering hair that did little to cover the bald spots. Wide rimmed glasses sat atop his bulbous nose, and a rugged five oclock shadow clung to his chin and jowls. He reached for Dana, the girl eagerly embracing him in a warm hug. Alex simply stood in silence, head partially tilted in mild confusion.

"Ohh We met last night young man, not that I think you'll remember. You practically passed out on the floor last night!" He would laugh like a jolly old man, belly seeming to laugh with him. With a hand raised, the other grasping a coffee cup starring a smiley face, he reached for Alex, as if to shake hands. Alex accepted, expression hardly changing. "The name's Hank Morris. I met your sister here about 8 years ago at the Boston Global Press tribune. She writes one mean article!"

"Oh shut it Hank." Dana snapped, glancing at Alex. "I imagine you'd like a shower right now. Its just down the hall. Hank can get you set up with a change of clothes while we go get these washed." Yanking at his pullover, he scratched the back of his head and shrugged before removing the filthy garment and hesitantly following the portly old fella down the hall to a vacant bedroom.

_________

With a clean set of clothes in hand, Alex stepped into the bathroom and shut the door, just thankful to be away from the sugary sweet old timer. He had nothing wrong with the man, but that mouth just wouldnt stop moving, give or take sipping some of his coffee.

Just then, his thoughts were broken by the blinding gleam of sunlight off the mirror. Stepping closer, he could see the very edges of the scarred tissue from over his right shoulder. Turning, he could see the reflection just barely through the grime and filth that had developed over the years of disuse. Dana was right. That wasn't there back in Manhattan. Perhaps the virus wasn't so easily tamed after all. Perhaps his changes from a normal recognisable human being were slower than that of say, a hunter or a lower class infected civilian. Whatever the case was, he had to find someone who could help before it spread farther.

Turning, his eyes settled thankfully on the bathtub, which was in considerably much better condition than the mirror. Its porclein surface was reletively free of gunk. stepping over the edge, he cranked the water to full heat and let the overwhelming sensation of simplicity rush over him.

_________

"You sure he's alright Dana?" Hank set the coffee cup down on the table infront of his old recliner before stepping back to take a seat. Perking towards the cieling, he could hear the water running upstairs. This was somehow comforting, but the thought was fleeting. His small grey eyes focused on Dana as she took a seat in a chair opposite him. The TV was on low, once again broadcasting the footage of the nuclear detonation from the shore of Mahnattan.

"He's fine. He's just had a rough time, with the evacuation and all. We both lived in Manhattan. I'm just glad you lived here, otherwise the military would have shoved us into cramped living space." Dana folded her hands nervously, deciding that it was best if she didnt reveal the true reason for the military's occuptation. This dear old friend didn't need the mental burden of knowing his home was refuge to a wanted killer, a monster.. That thought terrified Dana, and she mentally corrected herself. He wasn't a monster, he was her brother.

Alex descended down the steps from Hank's apartment, dressed once again in his now clean clothes and signature leather jacket. The thought never once crossed his mind if anyone would recognise him or not, but figured they wouldnt if he didnt wear his hood. Brown semi-curled hair sat in an unkept wet mess atop his head, framing his face no better than the hood did. On he walked, stature carried like that of a monster shunned from the collective hypocricy that was society. Booted feet carried his dense figure quietly, for several blocks and finally, past a dark alleyway on yet another non descript street. A woman passed him, the only pedestrian he had seen besides a few hobos and drug dealers. He thought her to be a prostitute, and if so, he expected her to offer her services. For a moment, he even considered accepting them if she had. It just now occured to him that sex was another of those simplicities like sunrises and showers he had come to miss. To his suprise, she remained silent and vigalant in her step, heeled feel clicking against the semi frozen concrete. He paid no mind to the ruckous hoops and hollars of local street trash coming from the alley way.

Just as he prepared to turn down the next street, he heard a woman cry out in pain- perhaps the curly haired femme that had just passed him. He tossed the thought in his mind to save her or not. Then with a cold shrug, he turned the corner. Another scream.. He clenched his eyes shut tightly, trying to stay the painful memories that flooded back in a deluge. Nothing he did could stop the sensation as he leaned against the wall to clutch his skull, heaving and struggling to fight off unconciousness.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

The urban city of New York lay in desolate cold that dimly lit evening, thin sheets of ice turning roads into kill zones as dense clouds threatened to drop rain just as they had done for the days before. Little broke the uneasy silence. No birds sung songs of spring, though by now things should have been well into summer but it remained bitterly cold. No cars honked in aggitation at their fellow pavement crawlers. Besides, if there had been a sound, very few were around to hear it, and even fewer cared to think about it. Fewer still cared to investigate. Only one tipped an ear to a frantic scream of a woman in distress.

All at once silence fell again. The woman lay terrified in the arms of her captors- a troupe of 3 brutish thugs adorned in whatever they happened to steal from their other unfortunate victims. They had a far more.. intimate interest in their find tonight it seemed. The leader, a young blond boy of no older than 19 held his prey to the wall. One hand gripped her throat while the other held a hand to her mouth, attempting to silence the boistrous alarms for help. His compatriots did little but sneered with boyish delight, underedeveloped horomones raging at the thought of taking something so precious to another human being. The blond boy's hand moved from her throat, plucking at the zipper of her down jacket to reveal stout cleavage beneath a reletively thick black blouse sweater. Tears began to weld up in the woman's brown eyes, carrying with them black streaks of mascara as they fell helplessly to her captors skin.

"What are three boys like you doing out so late?" The second thug, a dirty brown haired boy of simular stature to his blond cohort, wheeled around to face the rather imposing figure that stood meer feet from them in the dimly lit alley. Reaching into his jacket, he whipped out a short chipped pocket knife and glared at the stranger as if he had invaded their territory- a hyena come to steal the lion's prey.

"Better get your ass outta here before we beat you into a bloody pulp." quipped the minor. The third thug took a que from his leader and removed a small calibur handgun from his jeans. Without hesitation, he fired three rounds. Two made contact- one into the heart and the other into the thigh of the intruder. To the boy's amasement, the man still stood.. Motionless, silent and more intimidating than ever. His hands were tucked comfortably into the pockets of his dense leather jacket, hood fluttering gently to a gust that breezed through the corridor. Without so much as uttering a word, his very presence began to frighten the three lost puppies, their legs trembling from excitement and cold. Then, the brown haired boy saw the true eyes of a man with nothing to lose.

The eyes of a cold blooded killer- steely blue like the night sky. There was a sick glint of mischief in his eyes as he took a step towards the leader, completely ignoring the dirty haired boy with the knife. Furvently the thug he struck wildly. The swings were futile, doing little damage before the blood seemed to dry instaniously and the cuts closed. Even the stranger's clothes seemed to remain pristine. Fiercly, he lunged forward and grabbed the blond thug, raising him high before grinning with monstrous delight. The remaining two delinquints dropped their weapons, bolting off in whatever direction lead away from this nightmare. The stranger sank deeper and deeper into the alley, hand clutching the shirt of his prey. Turning his head before disappearing, he would glance at the unfortunate woman and with a single word, she would flee to the safety of the open. She dared not look back after she heard what sounded like bones cracking and the unmistakable clap of blood against a hard surface.

Moments passed in utter silence once more. The woman stood on weary legs, hardly willing herself to remain upright. Finally she dared to look down, only to see her savior turn a cold shoulder and walk in the opposite direction. Gathering courage, she would swallow the lump in her throat before taking a few unbalanced steps toward him. "Hey, stop! You've been shot, you need to get to a hospital!" Grabbing his arm, she wheeled him around before jumping from her own skin at his glare of disapproval.

"I'm fine. Go home. It's dangerous out here." He would grunt before yanking his arm free and taking a few more steps toward whatever unknown destination.

"But I could have sworn he shot you right in the heart!"

"I said I'm fine. now go home."

"Won't you at least tell me your name?!" she called, cupping her hands now as the distance between them increased. He stopped finally, turning ever so slightly.

"You can call me Alex, Alex Mercer." He responded in a cold voice. Something about that name rung a bell in her mind, but dismissed it as mere coincidence. Then again, after what she had witnessed that evening, something felt strange.

"Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?" Her hands clutched a small business card, held out as if to offer to Alex.

"Hmm.. Sounds good actually." He retreated in her direction, taking the card. "Shanna Williams.. Emergency responders paremedic." He read quietly to himself before glancing up at that piercing brown set of almond eyes. Oh how stupid this woman was. She seemed not to care that this stranger held as much capacity, if not more so than the thugs, to evicerate her without a second thought. What a foolish stupid woman.

"This friday?" She tilted her head. He hardly budged.

"Where at?"

"The Starbucks just a block from here?" She had little idea how far he might have or hadn't travelled but if he was willing to come this distance, then he'd likely done it many a times.

"Works for me." He took a moment to memorise her face, commiting it to memory as he had done so many times before with the identity of many others. This was different though. She hadn't died for him to carry on her existance. She remained in one piece, alive and well. He saw this as a ray of hope. Her hair was a pleasent shade of brown, wavy and shoulder length. She wasn't pretty, but she wasn't ugly. Thin lips sat evenly on her long face, crowned by a soft nose beneath a smoothly sloping brow ridge.

"Okay well.. take care of yourself. and.. Thank you again."

"It was nothing." His response was as simple and plain as he'd liked it to be. Turning, he started off down the sidewalk, waving a hand to her goodbyes. Though he didnt blatently show it, there was a slight glimmer of satisfaction in his eye. Why hadn't he killed this woman when she grabbed his arm? Why didnt she flee after he no doubt brought an end to the already short lives of an undeserving miscreit..

It mattered not, because he had a date.


	4. Chapter 4

Alex hadn't told his sister about the chance encounter the night before- at least, not so soon. He really wasn't sure if she'd freak out or be joyful for him. Either way, he had to tell her. Dana was his little sister, but she always seemed to be far more on top of things than he ever was. All the years he spent living in foster care yielded little in the way of self support, and the 7 years he spent with his mother raising his little sister only taught him how to protect someone. He was no good at words. Dana was, and boy she had a way with them.

"Dana, I've got a date tomorrow night." His words were blunt and profound, as they often were. For a moment Dana could almost make out a charming ring to his voice, but it was tough to make out.

"Oh?" Dana raised a dark brow from 'neath her burnt red hair. "With who?"

"A woman I ran into on the streets.. Some thugs were bullying her and--..." Alex froze as Dana turned 10 shades of red.

"Oh god Alex you didnt." She sounded furious, but refused to raise her voice to prevent from waking the old man up. "Please tell me you didnt kill the thugs." Alex didnt respond, he simply started at the floor while shuffling his left foot around on the patterned floorrug. He traced a stain with the toe of his boot, putting his talent of seemingly ignoring someone to good use.

"Dana, I can't go each day reliving the deaths of the people i've killed. If I can save one innocent life, maybe I can sleep at night." Alex shot back, finding the courage to open his mouth. Dana seemed to back down, intimidated by her brother's outburst. She took a step away, reaching for the door to Alex' room to close it- they were alone. Alex sat uneasily on his bed, flipping the business card over in his hand a few times.

"Mm.. Well maybe this'll be good for you. After all, Hank's going to try and help me get a job here. I may have to use a fake name- Your face is all over YouTube." Dana commented, stepping closer to sit beside her brother. She was such a tiny thing compared to him. Resting a comforting hand on his thigh, she smiled. Alex looked perplexed.

"Youtube?" Alex had used the computer and internet many times for his research. Hell, he had even owned a laptop at one point. It was back in manhatten, stashed away in the apartment. They never had a chance to retrieve it after the hunter's attack. Shaking his head, he shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You know as well as I do that I can be anyone.." Dana watched horrified as Alex took the form of Colonel Ian Taggart, a balding man in his mid 40's, then General Peter Randall, a portly gentlemen with silver hair and a scarred complextion.

Dana felt a wave of uncontrollable fear as she witnessed her brother morph again. Silver hair gave way to a flurry of ebony and crimson tendrils, yielding firery red hair, a soft complextion and a gentle young frame. Something seemed off though. Even in this guise, Alex' expression was one of terror, pain and suffering. The form faded to its original and Alex began to tumble forward. Dana failed to catch him in time, the man's limp body smacking against the stained rug. She cried out, falling to her knees next to him. He was shivering and running a fever. With her hand on his back, she tried to shake him to make him come to- No response. Warmpth however- Wet warmpth. Pulling her hand away, she saw red. It dripped from her palm.

Straightening him out, she lifted the hem of his white cotton shirt and examined the source of the blood- The scarred tissue seemed to shift and contort uneasily. Something was inside- Something was /moving/ inside. Then, just as quickly as it came, it faded. The blood seeped back into the flesh and Alex' face relaxed. Right about that time, Hank came storming into the room, holding a loaded shotgun and an extra round in his teeth.

"Everything alright- my god. is that blood?" Hank froze mid step and eyed the still stained t-shirt. Dana frowned, pulling the shirt off her brother's limp body before examining it.

"Hank.. What you're about to see might.. terrify you. Please don't freak out." Dana watched as hank came closer, eyes going wide at the sight. "Alex was.. er.. burned as a kid. Mom tried to torch him." Great excuse Dana, she thought. Hank wasn't so convinced however.

"Those don't look like burn scars to me.. Besides I knew your mother.. She was crazy but she'd never torch her kids. What's really going on Dana?" Hank helped Dana lift the unconcious man to the bed. It suprised him how heavy Alex felt, especially considering the man only looked around 190 or so. Dana settled her brother in nice and tight, pulling the sheets over him before sitting on the edge and watching him. Normally, he utterly terrified her. But now more than ever, he remindd her of that solitary boy that sat in his room for hours reading the Fundamentals of Genetics.

"I'm going to be straight with you Hank, We didn't leave the Quarentine with the Military's permission. I.. Snuck out and my brother crossed the river underneath the bridge." Everyone knew that the catwalks under the bridges were old and very dangerous. Alex was far too heavy to safely cross one.

"Are you kidding me? How in God's name did he manage that?" Hank's old mind was reeling with questions. He hadn't had a moment more thought provoking than now; at least, not in many many years.

"You can't tell anyone Hank. You can't. Answer me this though, when the infection started, what did the news say?"

"What? Oh, The news said that an unknown terrorist orgnization released a weaponised virus in the subway. They said the culprit was caught and killed. I dont remember his name ex..act..ly.." He trailed off, eyes widening in horror as he stepped back. Dana stood, grabbing his wrist and pleading for him to quiet down as the old man began to shriek in horror. The realization hit him hard, like a steamroller.

"Yes that was him, Be quiet!"

"He should be dead!" Hank cried, but Dana clamped her hand over the man's mouth. He stumbled backwards, tears of fear streaming down his cheeks. It wasn't long before Dana's soft expression relaxed him. "What happened to him Dana, really. What happened. I knew something about him felt off."

"Some.. bad things happened, and we're paying for it. Now we just want to put it behind us.. move on with life and.." She trailed, watching as Alex shifted a little. He seemed to be in pain again. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehad, already dirty hair becoming glossy and unruly. Hank's fear subsided entirely as he watched the seemingly harmless man writhe in pain. "Lets go down stairs and let him rest. I'll tell you all about it over a drink." Dana helped hank up by his arm and the two of them stumbled unwieldingly down the narrow flight of stairs.

"Good, I get the feeling i'm going to need something hard.." Hank did his best to chuckle, but he couldnt mask the terror in his voice. Dana shut the door to Alex' room before giving him one final glance.

:::::

"Alex.. Wake up Alex.." A voice.. female.. Dana? No.. not Dana's... Too many voices all at once to tell..

"Mother is here... No need to worry anymore.."

"Who are you.."

"You've forgotten me already? It's Mother.."

"M-Mom? You can't be.. you died in a car crash when I was 22.."

"No.. I'm here.. Just open your eyes.."

Alex did as told, eyelids sliding open. All at once he was flooded in pain, brain seemingly boiling with redhot fire in his very skull. His body felt out of control. Shifting through every form almost simaltaniously. Memories played like a sick reel. It hurt. Every memory hurt so bad. He wanted it to stop. Finally he gave way to a shriek. The pain stopped, and he found himself staring at the floor rug. The bed next to him was stained red. It was warm and fresh, wreaking of iron.

Glancing at the window, he noticed it was already the next day. It was friday. In a few hours, it would be time to meet Shanna. Glancing at the bed, he leaned in and placed an open palm on the surface. The red retracted towards his hand, vanishing entirely. His own blood was biomass after all. Like any other matter, it could be absorbed and assimilated into his structure, though his own blood provided no genetic enhancements.

It came to Alex' attention that he quite literally had nothing to wear for the 'date', just his dingey jeans and old leather jacket. But he got to thinking- His selection of clothing was vast, or so it seemed. Maybe some black slacks, a nice pair of shoes and.. a nice shirt? Maybe he would ditch the hood. Closing his eyes, Alex could sort his way through the flood of seemingly unimportant memories to the genetic snapshot of his victim. Jeans became slacks. Boots became dark soft shoes, and his hoody faded to a burnt red buttonup. His signature jacket remained- red decal as vibrant as ever against the glossy leather texture. He was ready for a night on the town. He left his room, passing by Dana's to see her out cold. Was she up all night watching him? Down stairs, he could see Hank out cold in his chair once again. An empty whisky bottle laid tipped over on its side, a half finished glass in the old man's hand. A vase of fresh flowers sat on his coffee table, almost glowing against the dark dim contrast of the room.

Bending over quietly, Alex plucked the most healthy and vibrant from the water before leaving the building and stepping into the bitter cold. The starbucks was only a few blocks away. He could be there in a flash by simply running but he'd grown accustomed to walking. It was just another one of those things he had come to take for granted- Kind of like sex and a good shower.

:Author's Comments:

Wrote this chapter the night I submitted 3- and to no suprise, 3 was written the night 2 was Posted. However real life distractions and setbacks (namely PC troubles) prevented me from Uploading it. Sorry for that delay guys. 'update soon'. feh xD

Anyways, Enjoy this next chapter. I'm rather fond of it myself. I've got some juicy things planned :D


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter is admittedly, not very important to the storyline of this fiction. It's mostly character interaction. Read it, don't read it. Doesn't btoher me either way. Just remember this when you decide to make a review. If it seems 'slow' and not in touch with the game, that's because it is. Not like you had a mission to get Dana a ham sandwhich or anything :p

Without further adue, chapter 5 (or 4.5, whatever you prefer)

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The coffee shop seemed alive with activity, every seat nearly filled. Alex was fortunate to find a couple of empty chairs out by a window. Outside everything looked cold, lonely and dead, but inside was a whole nother story. The rich smell of coffee overwhelmed his senses, reminding him of simpler times when a man could wake up undisturbed, turn on the tv and catch up on the latest happenings. Life was returning to that, he thought. At least, he hoped it was. God he really hoped it was. All of this, every single bit of it, was his fault. The bell rung on the door as it swung open, almost forced open by a gust of wind- the brunette holding it doing her best to keep the unwieldy thing from causing harm or damage.

Alex perked up, it was her. She looked amazing, and it made him smile, if only a little. Shanna glanced around hoping she was first, but gave a little wave when she realised Alex had already made himself comfortable in one of the chairs. He was fortunate to get one of the bar styled chairs, the ones that swivelled and rose high off the ground. She secured the door and began to approach Alex.

Alex slid off his chair, offering Shnna a hand to help her slip into the tall stool. She accepted, slipping in and setting her purse on the sill. Alex returned to his chair, smiling. "So what would you like to drink? Its on me." Wait a minute. FUCK. He didn't have any money!-- Or.. He checked his pocket, and to his suprise he found a 20. That's right, these were someone elses pants. That's a most interesting thought, and Alex smiled at it. Shanna simply smiled back, pink lips turned up into an almost fae like curious grin.

"Ooohh.. Something warm, obviously.." She eyed the menu from across the room. Starbucks was hosting most of its seasonal beverages- Spiced teas, cinnamin treats. She finally settled on a simple french vanilla. Alex nodded, standing and slipping over to the counter. A short while later, he returned with two steaming warm cups of the frothy beverage.

"So, tell me Shanna." Alex' voice decided to break, making him blush in ambarresment as he cleared his throat. "Ahem, excuse me. I was curious as to why you were outside that night?" He stirred his coffee after slipping in a packet of cream and sugar.

"Walking home from work of course. I used to have a car but when I was visiting Manhattan, it was broken into and stolen. I had to take a taxi home." Alex expected her to get agitated but in fact she didnt. Another quirky smile parted her lips to reveal a pearly smile. "That thing was an old junker anyways.. I figured it was time to get something new soon. And you- Why on earth were you out in that cold?"

Alex froze, thinking and calculating an answer in his head, "Just taking a walk I suppose. I've always loved winter.. though I suppose its not about carrols and flashy lights right now is it." Everyone knew Christmas was long gone. On top of that everyone knew that it should have been well into the warmer tempartures. Weather was still unbearably cold. Officials expected it to stay cold for another 6 months until things could rebalance after the explosion out in the ocean. A nueclear winter.

"Mmm Makes sense." Shanna finally sipped at her drink, the liquid being cool enough to down without causing second degree burns. It warmed her right up, rosy red cheeks becoming a little redder. Soon the ambient temparture of the room and the comparatively hot coffee became to much. She slipped off her jacket, letting it drape over the back of the chair.

Alex raised his cup, taking a gulp before setting it aside and cupping his hands. He really wasn't sure what to say. He wondered how old she was. She looked somewhere in her late 20s. As if he said it aloud, Shanna spoke.

"I'm 28." There was that smile again. How could she smile so freely while the world got a little worse each day? It utterly dumbfounded the man.

"Er.. 35 here. At least, last I checked I was 35." This made Shanna chuckle and Alex went right along. "Can't remember the last time I had a birthday celebration."

And that's how it was for pretty much most of the evening. Small talk. Little pleasentries here and there. The simplicity of it all comforted the troubled man, returning a glimmer of hope that just maybe things could get back to.. well, reletively normal. After what he had experianced, and the things he could do, normal was a fairy tale. Then again, the world was blissfully confident that super powers were impossible. With that in mind, anything was possible.

Shanna was getting ready to pack up for the evening, noticing that two and a half hours had passed with neither of them noticing. Chairs emptied around them, the lines dwindled and the feel of the bustling store had relaxed. It wasn't closing time yet, but it was damn near close. As she slid off her chair, grabbed her purse and glanced back, she nearly leaped from her skin. "My god Alex you're bleeding!"

Shit. Alex looked back, seeing red on the chair. Then he felt it. The wet warmpth. How could he not have noticed? His shirt was drenched. It thankfully hadn't seemed through his jacket but it did a number on everything beneath. The clerk at the counter looked over, readying his phone. Alex waved his hands, "Don't call 911. I'm fine."

"But my god you're bleeding!" He slid off the chair, wincing as he shushed her.

"Its alright. I had a recent injury at work, the stitches probably tore a little." He grabbed a napkin and began to whipe down the seating. It was thankfully a hard polymer plastic, making it easy to clean. The clerk frowned, reaching under the counter to get a canister of bleach.

"Are you sure?" She turned him around, trying to get a view of things. He followed her steps, trying to keep her out of direct view of the maroon stained shirt that draped from beneath his jacket.

"I'll be fine. I wanted to walk you home, but I suppose for now it'd be best to order you a taxi. My apartment isnt far from here. I'll be home in no time." He grabbed his cel from his pocket, flipping open the face and preparing to dial the cab company's number.

"Alex if you remember I'm an EMT." Oh yeah, that's right. But even with Shanna's offer, Alex couldn't afford to let her see the sprawling scar tissue. It might be a little much. Not to mention there was no easy way of fooling a medical professional- Dana already tried that on an ordinary old man.

"I know but.. the doctor gave me some lists of things to do if they bled." His phone rang, and he placed it to his ear. A nod, a few words, and a taxi was on its way. Thankfully one arrived moments later, pulling up to the curb. Alex escorted her out and the clerk went about his business whiping down the seat. Health inspectors wouldnt tolerate bloody chairs, that was for sure.

Shanna slipped into the back seat, turning for a moment before slipping Alex a piece of paper with a quickly scribbled number. Alex accepted it, tucking it away safely into an inside pocket. "Call me, I'd like to do this again sometime. And you get home and take care of those stitches. I don't want to see you in my emergency room." Alex nodded, slipping the woman what he had left of his change. It wasn't enough to cover fair, and he knew it. "Its fine, I have money. You take care Alex."

"Yeah. You too. Goodnight Shanna." He shut the door, knocking on the roof of the car. Stepping back, he watched as it drove off and turned the corner. Well, time to head home.

The walk was short. Once home, he did his best to sneak upstairs but the boards creaked. Dana slipped out, suprised to see Alex home so late. She greeted him in the stairwell, and he turned to keep her from seeing the blood. She asked if he had a good time, and he nodded.

"Well I'm going to get some rest." He stepped into his room, shutting the door. Finally he was alone. The entire walk home he had been in almost unbearable pain, just like the night before. Stripping to his boxers and undershirt, the beast of a man simply collapsed into bed and drifted into an uneasy, restless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alex..."

_There's that voice again..._

"You're going to be late.."

_Late for what..?_

"Why.. the end of mankind, and the beggining of our kind of course."

_Pardon?_

"Wake up Alex.. Open your eyes.. I'm here..Mother's here now. Everything will be fine."

_E-Elizabeth? No.. it can't be. You're dead._

"Mm.. I'm far from dead Alex.. In fact I've never been more alive."

Ah god, that unbearable pain. Alex gave a cry in his sleep, his eyes refusing to open to thrust him from this nightmare.

_You're dead, I killed you!_

"No, you CONSUMED me.."

_That doesn't matter, you're nothing but a memory now!_

"Oh.. Am I? Then tell me why it hurts so much!"

That voice was mocking him. The lesser voices all laughed in unison. He could make some of them out- Karen, Randall, Taggart. They were all laughing at him. Why were the laughing, what was so god damned funny!

_Get out of my head, you filthy whore!_

"How dare you talk to your mother like that!"

The voices scoulded him in synchrony now. It was torture, hearing thousands of voices all speak at once. The hivemind? No. His own mind. Every living soul he had consumed.. Elizabeth too- It was all coming to life. These people were all dead. Just memories. How could they become so independant from his own thoughts.

Another cry of pain erupted from Alex, arms folded in agony over his chest as he dug at either arm with claw like nails; blood seeping from the wounds only to dry and the wounds to fade. Everything played like a movie reel, images flashing through his head like some sick hallucinogen. Alex didn't need drugs- he just had to close his eyes for a truly mind blowing experiance. He only wished the high was good. Oh what he wouldn't give to be blissfully carried away by a blunt. Retardation was preferable to the experiance he went through almost nightly.

Just when he thought the pain couldn't get worse, it had. He felt fire running through his veins from the tips of each fiber of hair down to the tips of his toes. It was like the infection was zipping through his bloodstream. His heart- or at least what acted as a heart, threatened to beat out of his very chest.

Then he felt a chill on his shoulder. A hand it seemed. The pain began to subside.. for now. When he opened his eyes, his senses were flooded with the frantic cries of his sister, the blaring light of the lamp overhead and the hustle and bustle of the city below. Everything ached. His hair was soaked, face drenched in a cold sticky sweat. The sheets once again, stained red..

::::::::

"Dana if I could fucking kill myself, I would." Alex, wracked in a cold shiver, clenched the bedsheets with the force of the jaws of life. If that were bone, it would have been pulverised to a fine mist.

"My god Alex, don't tell me you've actually tried." Dana looked utterly disgusted. Her brother, a once calm man content just sitting with his test tubes and samples, attempted to take his own life. She focused on Alex, the look in his eyes indicating that he was prepared to tell a truly gruesome tale.

"I had just killed another undeserving civilian.. Bumped into him on the street.. decided to get in my face. He was just a kid, but he had a gun- a small calibur pistol." By now Alex was running his shivering fingers through his hair. "I went someplace secluded- the top of the clock tower." Dana stared in absent horror, mascarra running as tears fell like the Niagra falls. Still, she listened.

"I sat for hours, pondering those little bullets. I had been shot countless times. Why did I possibly think it would have any effect." It was obvious the hardened killer was breaking down. There were no tears, but the dark rings around his icy blue eyes only seemed to get more pronounced. For a while, he was silent, as if to collect his words. A few times his mouth opened and closed, until eventually he could muster the courage to form words. "I raised the gun to my chin, and.." He shook his head in disbelief, hands gently stroking at the 5 oclock shadow. Technically a dead man, but still very much alive.

Dana was speechless. Hank was too. Neither even paid attention that he was listening the whole time from the doorway.

"I pulled the trigger, heard it click.. felt the bullet rip through.. heard it hit the wall behind me. But I was alive. The hole just.. closed up. I emptied the clip. Nothing." Alex simply could not stop shivering. Hank stood nearly motionless with terror and.. intrigue. Dana opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came.

"Not even a god damned nuclear explosion could tear me apart! I flew that bomb out into the ocean.. let it detonate there. I was caught in the blast. Yet here I am." Alex felt his mind reeling, the world had begun to spin out of control and his head was on fire. "I can't take much more of this Dana. The nightmares, the pain. I wish I had never created that god forsaken virus." This brute of a man, 5'11" and full of power, was reduced to a mere blubbering fool. Alex felt weaker than ever, afraid to close his eyes for even a second, should the sickening images of that young female face come back.

Hank finally decided to make his presence known. Slowly he stepped into the room, the floorboards squeaking as he did so. His fear was all but gone, the man.. smiling.

"That.. that was you? Everyone thinks it was some terrorist orgnisation sending a message to the states." Hank creapt closer, feeling almost sorry for Alex in his current condition. What naive stupid old fool Alex thought. Had he wanted to repent for his sins, he might've killed the man in his very steps.

"The government was going to nuke Manhattan.. in a desperate and futile attempt to contain the infection. They didn't wager on me surviving. Though I'd imagine that if I were sitting right on top of the bomb, I would have been vaporised." Alex was beggining to relax, the shivering finally going away. The last nightmare was the worst by far. If the trend continued, the next nightmare would be sickeningly worse.

"And you.. flew it out into the ocean. My boy, I can't count how many lives.. men, women, children.. you saved doing that." the old man's rosy cheeks lit up like jolly ole' saint Nick. Alex shot him a death glare, marching out of bed before coming within an inch of the geezer's face.

"I can't begin to tell you how many lives I took for my own selfish revenge. Its because of me that fathers won't go home. Mothers won't get to hold their kids." Alex was shouting, face red with frustration and pent up rage. He felt his body react, threatening to shift a set of claws to rend the flesh from the man's body but Alex turned and faced away in shame. "Families destroyed all because I felt it nessecary to make someone pay for.. well, something that was entirely my fault!" He clutched at both arms, flailing uneasily in an attempt to qwell the bloodthirsty desires. Dana was thankfull Alex didn't draw a blade to the man's neck- he was really all they had left.

Hank stuttered, straightening his glasses as he watched the man shrivel again. He felt sick, watching the man writhe. What had this man created that forced him to endure so much pain. What had he done- news spoke of an orgnization, kidnapping people and torturing military members. Everyone thought it was several hundred people working in synchrony but it was just one man. Not even a man- not even human it seemed. Alex spoke, as if reading the old man's mind.

"Alex Mercer.. he died that day in Penn Station, after releasing the most deadly virus known to man upon the unsuspecting people of Manhattan. They didn't deserve what he did- they didn't deserve it. Now, I have to suffer for his mistakes." Alex clutched at his face once more, giving a heavy sigh. Dana was dumbfounded, her brother speaking as if he was a completely different entity.

"Alex Maybe you should go get yourself cleaned up.. You look like a mess." Dana approached Alex cautiously, leaning forward before shifting a piece of hair aside to get a better look at his face. Some how he had begun to look younger, more revitalised. The virus was seemingly rewinding his genetic structure. His body had become ridged, toned. The virus was shaping him into what it felt was perfection.

Alex gave a little nod, running his fingers through that brown mop once more. His face was rugged, having not shaved in a few days. His hair had doubled in length, the excess falling over his eyes. Dana watched as he shuffled into the hallway, the bathroom door closing seconds after. Then the sound of running water. Hank was reeling from the conversation. So much information all at once.

Dana rose from her kneeling positon at the side of the bed, hands gently gathering the sheets into a ball. The thought occured to her- how many nights had Alex awoken much the same, and she simply did not hear his cries. How many nights had that injury bled out. How much longer would Alex endure all the mental suffering before he took measures to the next level? Dana was only thankful for one thing- That Alex was aparently not contaigous. At least, he wasn't to the best of her knowledge. Glancing back at the sheets, she let go after sighing gently. Removing the sheets and cleaning them would be futile. He would only ruin them again anyways. She also wasn't sure if contact with his blood might result in infection- a chance she wasn't willing to take.

The prototype relished in the feeling of the steaming hot water once more, gazing absecent mindedly at the spicket as the water poured from the outter ring of the shower head. A strange ache began to collect in his gut, though he largely ignored it until the discomfort exceeded that if a gunshot wound. The came the gag reflex. He barely had enough time to yank open the semi transparent shower curtain and make it to the toilet where he proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach. To Alex' dismay, it was entirely blood, but the sickening feeling had vanished entirely.

Darkness began to creep up from the corners of his eyes, vision blurring to a dulled flash of lights and shadows as gravity took its toll. He hadn't even realised he'd shrieked until the muffled sounds of frantic cries and banging fists on the old wooden door reached his ears. Laying to one side, he clutched helplessly at the tile, 4 massive talon like claws ripping through the grimey honeycomb floor. The other set reached for the door, which burst open to reveal a blurred distorted figure. That was the last thing he saw before conciousness faded entirely.

Yeah I know, Alex seems to be spending more time unconcious than awake, but I swear I'm going to make up for it and get on with the story! =3 Please don't kill me... And don't worry, there will be more of Shanna.


	7. Chapter 7

A week and a half had passed since Dana found her brother on the brink of conciousness in Hank's rundown restroom. The event left everyone in a state of shock- Hank most notably. Before, he could only imagine what Mercer was capable of. It was clear that the old man was walking a thin line between sanity and something much much worse. Everything he had come to know and accept was rapidly ripped from logic and turned upside down. Everything indicated that what Alex could do was scientifically impossible.

But there Alex was, laying on the tile- soaked and nude, mouth dribbled in blood- both arms twisted into something horrible. Black wirey material had strung itself all along the man's limbs, ending in deadly scythe like claws. It was much like a hollywood prop, but it was very much real. He recalled assisting Dana in hauling the unconcious man's body to the bed once again, the young woman handling that inhuman growth as she settled him into bed like a good younger sister. Dana was losing hope. Her brother was slipping away. Each night when he sleapt, the most horrific things filled his mind and she was utterly stranded in a sea of helplessness.

When Alex finally awoke, several days later, he drifted around in a fog. He was lackadasical, drained.. He knew why, but the answer was one Alex couldn't bring himself to mention to Dana. He'd sworn to stop killing, but he broke that promise when rescuing the unfortunate young woman from a band of thugs. He would have to find a way to slip off that night, find some old homeless person and end their suffering. Few cared to notice if a hobo or two went missing. The thought occured to him- he was much like the vampires that had come to frequent the cinemas. The thought brought a little smirk to his face, and a chuckle rose up. He had to laugh. It was the only thing that kept him going anymore.

When night fell, Alex scoped out the apartment for a suitable exit. Getting to the stairs would require passing by Dana's room, thus alerting her of his presence. Getting to the front door would alert Hank, though the old man was probably utterly shit faced on whiskey again. Hank's drinking was certainly getting worse. Alex understood why. Alcohol had been one of his comforts before the infection. Every friday night he'd sit down at the bar with a few drinking buddies and drown the night away. The next morning he'd always regret it, head pounding from a killer hangover. He certainly wasn't an alcoholic, but he'd be a liar if he said he hadn't ever drank.

There was only one last resort for escape- the windows in his own room. He checked one wall- No fire escapes. He checked the other, rusted old metal grates and stairwells descending. Slowly he unlatched and slid the window open. Stepping out, he shut it before proceeding down the platform, boots making a dull thud as he dropped down from the emergency ladder. What a pleasent suprise for him, This alleyway was home to a small group of social castaways.

And so the hunt began, the silent predator stalking towards its prey. One of the homeless raised their head, an older gentlemen. He raised a cup, shaking it around. "Hey, care to spare some change buddy..? Need some food.." It was clear the man wasn't requesting food, but instead a new bottle of liquir, as the man clutched an empty bottle in a grimey gloved hand. Alex sneered with eagerness as the restless geezer stood and stumbled drunkenly towards him. In one lightning fast fluid movement, Alex lurched forward, clutching the man by his thoat. The other hand lay flat as he thrust it violently through the stranger's portly gut.

It was certainly a sight to behold, the other three homeless staring in amazement as the scene played out like a horror film. Cords of oily black tendrils seemed to thrust forward from this brute's body, entangled with red streaks. They latched onto its prey, covering it.. smothering it, absorbing it until finally the prey was nothing more than a memory. The remaining survivors screamed, standing to flee for their lives as they ran down the other end of the alleyway. Alex had no need to pursue, mind lifted from the fog as the memories of his victim played out his life story. It was all irrelevent for the most part, save for a happy image of him marrying a beautiful brunette, much like Shanna.

"Shanna.. Shit I forgot." He reached quickly into his pocket, pulling out her number and his phone. Flipping the face open, he dialed and waited for it to ring a few times. Finally, an answer.

"Hello? Who is this?" Thank heavens, it was Shanna. She hadn't stood him up.

"Er.. Shanna, it's me, Alex. Sorry I didn't call back sooner. I've been a little busy." He shuffled his feet somewhat, leaning against the fridged brick wall with one hand sunk into his jean pocket.

"It's alright. Work's been killer. There was a nasty accident up on a bridge this morning- school bus got hit by a drunk driver. Killed one kid.. couple of them are in critical condition but I think they're all going to be okay." The brunette sounded a little shaken, but it was fading with each word. Alex found himself smiling again, comforted by her gentle voice.

"Sorry to hear it.. I do hope the others make it." He cleared his throat, shuffling his boot once more. "Hey uh.. I was curious-" His mouth hung open mid word as Shanna piped up over the line.

"If I'd like to go to dinner with you? Absolutely." He could hear her giggling, so he smiled and went with it.

"Er.. Not quite what I was going to ask but. yeah! Dinner sounds great. Any place you have in mind? You know this part of New York better than I do." Inside, Alex was celebrating. He lied when he said that wasn't his question, but Shanna was sharp and it was obvious it was going t be a difficult task to get anything past her. For now, everything disappeared for that one moment. It was just him, Shanna.. no virus, no infection, no murder, No killing.

"Mm...There's this really amazing Itallian place I heard about a couple years back, Way up high on the Mariott.. How bout it?" Alex gave a nod.

"I'd love to. Got a date in mind?" Alex wasn't even sure what day it was.

"mm. How does this Friday again sound? I've got work off tomorrow."

The two said their goodbyes and Alex hung up his phone, then glanced at the date. Mm, it was Thursday, sure enough. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he figured he'd go for a walk. It was a suprisingly warm day in the concrete jungle. Maybe he would find a sky scraper to sit at, looking out over the land. He wondered what had become of Manhattan, now that it was effectively deserted. The only souls that dared to remain in that hell hole were Blackwatch and the Military as they continued to fight and eradicate the infected. It wouldn't be long before they would reopen the bridges and let the evacuees from New Jersey and surrounding New York areas back in.

As he calmly approached one of the taller buildings, he creapt into the alleyway behind, assuming the disguise of a fine upright gentlemen in a silky black suit. Once in the front doors, he waved to the receptionist, claimed he had a meeting, then approached the elevator. It was.. kind of nice for a change to ride the elevators, listening to the badly composed music in the uneasy silence an elevator always brought to a conversation. Once atop, the doors opened to the roof where Alex took a seat on one of the many benches. There were a few other civilians scattered amongst the rest areas, chatting or eating their lunch. Before any of them had caught sight of him, he let the disguise fade back to a flurry of ropey ebony and crimzon matter, and finally to his 'true' form.

He began to wonder.. Had Ragland made it out alive? The old man, even if threatened, had been extremely compliant and helpful to Alex. He even watched over Dana while she was unconcious for a week. His mind wandered, to the vicious hairless ape like hunters, to the blackwatch troopers, to Karen Parker and her betrayel. He didn't hold it against her, knowing full and well that Karen was just one of the many the Blackwatch attempted to use to bring the verelent ZEUS down. So many thoughts, all cascading at once..

As Alex often did, he sat atop the now abandonned roof, icy blue eyes focused on the firery orange horizon as the sun set on yet another day. A cool breeze blew in from the waters, bringing with it solitude and peace of mind to the troubled man.

Time for Alex was seemingly relevent. It was a simple task for him to simply tune everything out. After all, he had quite literally hundreds of millions of memories to relive.. even if they weren't his own. But even that escape was like hell. So many of the memories.. many of them happy, some disappointing..So many little faces with names and pleasent smiles of happy wives. How many worlds had he come to end to find the meaning to his own. Of all the powers, he wished he could have gone back.. to stop himself from ever making that abomination.

The past was gone and there was only the future however. There would be no going back, no fixing the mistakes.. No undoing what was done. Those people were dead. No.. Not dead. They lived on in him- their dreams, their aspirations, their love and their beings. Perhaps.. just maybe there was a chance he could atone for every death.. it was a chance he was willing to take. He would start by doing something right for Shanna.

That was right.. It was friday night. Alex hadn't realised he had sat atop that roof for close to 24 hours, simply watching the eb and flow of the day. People came and went, seemingly ignoring him as they did any other stranger they would pass along their travels. With a heavy sigh, Alex heaved himself up from the bench then slipped his cell from his pocket.

"mm.. 5 missed calls.. all from Dana. Should probly let her know I'm a alright." His thumb passed gently over the screen of his phone, a subtle smile crossing lips as he overlooked the picture of his dear sister. The picture was from that christmas, shortly before the military announced its plans for the evacuation. They had gotten a little tree, and each invested in a gift. Even through the viral pandemic, people still found the courage to celebrate. Many saw Christmas and the events of months prior as a time to repent, to correct and make anew before their lives ended in a world already so corrupted by death and tragedy.

He and Dana opened presents that morning. The gifts weren't anything impressive or significant but they were enough to give that air to the mood. In his picture, Dana proudly wore the gold engraved Locket he had gotten. Her smile was more innocent than he had ever remembered it being, and he knew that he would have to protect that smile as best he could.

A phone call later and Dana was relaxed, knowing her brother was safe. Alex could carry on about his day and It was close to time to meet with Shanna. The walk never seemed to last long, even if he was travelling half of the city to reach his destination. Besides, if all else failed, he could simply get to a roof top and leap from roof to roof and avoid traffic entirely. Difference being, doing so would mean exposure- exposure meant risking Dana, and now, Shanna.

As he crossed an intersection, his eyes happened to catch sight of a hooded white Camera overhead.. Normally the cameras were used to keep an eye on traffic patterns, but that one camera seemed to be.. staring right back at him. Alex felt a wave of uncertainty overwhelm him. Did the miltary know he was there? He sure as hell hoped not.

...

"Sir, I've got confirmation on the survelance footage. We have an I.D. There's no doubt, It's Mercer."

A disgruntled balding general leaned over his subbordinates chair, eyeing the monitors before scowling and cursing under his breath. "Have there been any reports of unexplainable illnesses?"

"None sir.. Just the standard seasonal sniffles." the lacky responded, isolating the image of Alex' face from the snapshot before blowing it up and amplifying the detail. The man shivered as he felt the icy gaze of the killer through the lense. Alex had focused right on the camera. Did he know they were watching him? They hoped not.

"Casualties?"

"Just a few thugs. Likely due to gang wars but beyond that sir, Nothing."

"ZEUS is up to something.. I intend to find out. I want a man following him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Do not lose track. Any idea whom Mercer has been in contact with?" The portly figure resettled his hat atop his head, the dark sleek suit rounding out over his belly. A curly salt and pepper beard hung from his rounded chin. A scar stretched from the left side of his forehead to the right side of his chin, making the higher ranking official even more intimidating. A full plate of ribbons clung to his shirt, insignia identifying his rank along his collar.

"Mm.. Not entirely sure. Scouts report seeing ZUES enter an apartment on a regular basis. There's little record of who lives there. We haven't gotten clearence to contact the owner of the building so its been difficult finding the nessecary information." He brought up a picture of a young spritely brunette, fae like features pinched into a gleeful smile. "Then there's this woman.. a.. Shanna WIlliams, works up at the Heartland Medical center in the First Responder unit. 28 years old, graduated from Harvord in.. 2003. She previously lived in Manhattan before coming to live in Brooklyn. She was last seen in a Starbucks with Mercer."

"Any chance they're romantically involved?"

"No way of telling sir. We've been tapping her phone line. She's recieved a few calls from Mercer in the last few weeks but.. nothing significant. Mostly coffee dates."

"Keep an ear to the wire son. I've a feeling this may be beneficial us. Move in if you feel ZEUS becomes a threat."

Alex glanced up at the dark brooding sky, shivering to himself as he carried on down the slick sidewalks filled with people going to and from their destinations. A short way up the road, he could see the building in question. He was once again dressed rather nicely. This time, he wore a fine black suit, white shirt and a red tie. Now he was really trying to impress Shanna. He was certain she would look more fabulous than ever before, as a beautiful woman often did.

Approaching the front entrance, he was glad to be out of the light drizzle that started during his trek. The area was brightly lit by hundreds of rounded bulbs, the sidewalk looking like it was poured with liquid stars. Just down the way, he spotted Shanna. Arm raised, he called out. She responded with a little wave before meeting him midway. The two went in together, boarding the elevator to the top floor where they were greeted by a hostess. A few minutes later and they were seated- looking out over all of Brooklyn facing Manhattan. Parts of the long island still glowed with an omnious red. Little fires the military had yet to put out.

...

Midway through their meal, Alex couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Shanna, being a keen intellegent young woman, took notice.

"Is something wrong Alex?"

"Yeah.. that guy over there. He's been watching us ever since we got in here." With a finger sheilded by his jacket, he pointed over towards the corner. Sure enough, there was a seemingly unattentive man sitting alone in a chair sharing a glass of wine with no one. Alex squinted- the man was wearing an Earpiece.

"I wonder why.." She whispered, glancing back down at the nearly finished fetticini she had ordered.

"Mm.. Perhaps, he can't help but stare at the most beautiful woman here. You look gorgeous after all." Alex put in a sly smile, and Shanna couldn't help but chuckle, twirling the noodles idly before setting the fork down.

"Oh getting smooth with me.. mm?" Mocking playfully, she sipped at the red wine before turning to look out at the window. Alex' eyes were intetly focused on her. Indeed she looked gorgeous, brunette hair once again teased into lucious waves that fell past her shoulders, accented by a creamy white off-the-shoulder dress. Diamond eearings and matching bracelet completed the look.

"Well of course. Any man in his right mind would be crazy not to. What can I say." There was that feeling again- the feeling that everything in the world was right and the virus didn't exist. It was such a wonderful feeling. The sting of the infection was all but gone, and he felt no bleeding. He was having the most wonderful time. There was no way this night could get better.

As their dates usually did, time passed without them so much as batting an eyelash at the clock. When it dawned on them that they had once again talked the night away, they decided it was perhaps best to head home until another time. Once downstairs, Alex called a taxi for Shanna.

"Alex.. I was thinking that maybe you'd.. like to come over this evening." Maybe they were moving fast, maybe they weren't. Shanna gave Alex one of her little smiles as she usually did- how could a man say no to that. He tried however.

"mm.. I should.. probly get home. Dana'll be worried sick about me." He gave a light chuckle, perking up at the irritated growl of the cabbi driver.

"Your sister right? She'll be fine. Just.. come with me tonight! I want to hear the ending of that hillarious college prank story!" She tugged on his arm, the man blushing.

"Oh, well Alright. I suppose I can't argue with that." Alex unwillingly climbed in, Shanna giving the cabbi her address. The man was wearing an ear piece, just like the one in the bar. Alex only hoped this stranger wore one for communicates with his deployment station. Oh god he hoped.

The taxi drove on, turning the corner to proceed down upon unknown roads to one place Alex hadn't hoped to end up so soon- Shanna's apartment.

Holy pooperscoopers. 3 chapters in 2 days! I'm on a roll! =D What can I say, I hope you like it. I do apologise if the storyline is going to slow to keep things interesting. This isnt meant to be a balls to the walls action fic like the game.

Also I just noticed. this chapter is quite litrally double the size of previous submissions, WHOO!


	8. Chapter 8

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE MATERIAL THAT MAY BE INAPPROPIATE FOR SOME READERS. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

This chapter contains minor sexual content that may be inappropiate for some readers. Mind you it is not explicit. After all, that'd be NC-17 which isnt a rating provides anymore. At least, I don't think it does.

You have been warned.

Please read this chapter with an open mind, and think to yourself. What would a man in love do.

This isnt your normal hack and slash slaughter fest Prototype fanfiction. I'm writing this to be as believable as possible- even going as far as to do research on resources such as google, google maps and various medical directories to write my publications. You've likely found some before but there's bound to be spelling errors. I spellcheck manually, as I write these in WORDPAD. (no joke)

WIthout further adeau, enjoy.

Nng.. Bright, Why was it so damn bright.. Alex rolled over to shield his eyes from the light flooding in from the uncovered window, arm tossed lazily over his eyes. Strange.. this bed was comfortable, nothing like what he was familiar with back at Hank's apartment. Wait- this wasn't even his bed. Who- Oh yeah..

_Alex and Shanna barged into the quiet apartment, the woman's keys clanking against the door as she unlocked it and invited the man in. He removed his coat, hanging it on the hook beside the door. Shanna set her purse on the nearby coffee table, stepping into the kitchen._

_"Can I get you something to drink?"_

_"Mm.. Got something.. sweet?" He stood stiffly in the center of the room, unsure if he should sit or stand. Shanna offered him a seat on the couch, and he obliged. He could hear wine glasses clicking from the kitchen, and liquid being poured. She approached from behind with 2 crystalline glasses filled with a subtle blush pink wine. Alex accepted the cup, sipping with a contented smile. The flavor reflected autumn, rich and warm._

_"Mm. I'm glad you came with me Alex. It's been a while since I could get out like this." She had thrown her heels off, sitting with one leg folded on the plush couch. Alex listened as he examined the walls. She certainly had an appreciation for the arts, specifically ones of Aborigine origin and other native cultures._

Alex groaned, sitting up and rubbing his forehead before yawning big- What on earth. He was.. Oh dear. He glanced at the side of the bed- shirt, pants and underclothing tossed aside carlessly.

_"Oh? Well I'm honored that you'd want to spend time with me." His hands slid from the glass as he set it on the coffee table, Shanna doing the same after a few more sips._

_"Last time I.. found a guy I liked, he led me on for months then.. up and vanished.. with my car."_

_"So that's where the car went. I'm sorry to hear.. But no worries, I've no intentions of-" His jaw was once again hung half open as Shanna used those powers of hers to shut him up. With one finger on his lips, she smiled and leaned closer._

_"I'm not worried Alex. And to be entirely honest, I'd love it if you.. stayed for the night." There was that smile again. Damn how could she do it! All of Alex' defenses fell in one sweep of that angel's eyes. He smiled back at her, reaching up to gently clutch her hand._

Had he and her...? He couldn't dare to fathom if they had. He glanced next to him.. on the right, then the left. No Shanna. The sheets where she lay had been tossed aside, empty.

_Caution had been thrown to the wind, this seemingly inconqurable man brought to his literal knees by a woman._

_One hand slid idly along the femme's bare legs, palms feeling the soft texture as his thumb met the hem of her dress. His heart was racing, his body felt warm. Their lips met in a firey kiss, his fingers entangled in her rich dark hair. She fumbled with his shirt, plucking at the buttons after untieing the meddlesome red tie that clung to his collar. He was equally at work, lifting the dress to reveal new territory._

By god they had. A wave of terror struck the man like a slap to the face. He was awake now, mind consumed with the agonising fear that Shana might have potentially become.. dare he think it- infected. Then again, There were no indications that he was contaigous. After all, Ragland had handled Alex' wound after his match against a Blackwatch Operative with no resulting illness. Dana had no doubt come in direct contact with his blood, yet she remained perfectly sane and coherent. Hopefully, his genetic material didn't carry the virus. Hopefully..

_Alex lifted Shanna with quite literally no effort, the brunette not paying attention to the feat he had achieved. They coasted over to the bed, the woman's cherry red lips caressing his bare neck as her hands forced open the shirt to reveal a bare toned chest. He was nothing impressive but still a looker._

He raised a hand, resting it on his neck. Pulling it back, he saw red- Lipstick. Ah jeeze.. First base and a home run in 3 weeks- He hadn't recalled dating being this quick. Maybe they were just both looking for something and found it that night. Whatever it was, it was.. amazing.

_Alex let his prey fall to the mattress, the comforter being tossed about as he practicaly leapt at her. Straddling her waist with either leg, he continued to bless that gorgeous body in the attention it deserved and craved. His actions were met with a pleasent whine, encouraging him._

It had just occured to him- Where was Shanna? He perked an ear to the quiet apartment, listening in. He heard the shower running, thank heavens. He'd wondered how long she was awake.

_Bodies intertwined, bare skin against bare skin as tempartures rose. Both minds gave into feral desires as the night slipped into bliss._

The door farthest down the hallway opened, giving way to a woman dressed in only a soft white towel. She waved at him from down the hall, hair rolled into another towel that sat atop her head. Alex glanced around one last time, leaning over and reaching for his boxers first.

"Going so soon?" Shanna had unravelled her hair, a black scrunchie wrapped around her wrist as she combed her damp hair into a ponytail. Alex stared up, dumbfounded.

"Oh er.. No. Just thought I would.. get dressed. Yaknow.. so I'm not streaking past the windows. Shanna slid onto the bed, hair bound back before coming to rest against Alex. He sensed a little discomfort as she laid next to him. Oh god.. was he incapable of satisfying her?

"Was I--?" once again, Shanna used that ability. Alex was speechless.

"The sex was great. Its just.. I had these wierd nightmares last night." Oh god. Alex felt his heart stop, mind reeling. He had sleapt amazingly that night. What if.. what if by their contact, he passed something onto her- something more than a little army of genetic soldiers.

"Er.. wierd how?"

"There was this wierd red haired girl.. and then I saw.. lots of death. People screaming as some wierd ..monster killed them." Her dainty fingers played with a stray piece of brown hair.

"Been watching too many horror movies maybe." He gave a light half-hearted chuckle. That woman, was Elizabeth Greene. That monster.. well, he dared not to think about it.

"MM Maybe.. though the last one I saw was.. 28 Weeks Later- and there was nothing in there like what I saw. Oh well.. Want some coffee?" Alex watched as Shanna climbed off the low bed, entering the kitchen to collect 2 cups and the grinds to brew.

"Oh I'd love some.. I'll need to get back home sometime this morning. But I'm sure I've got enough time to enjoy a few cups with you."

...

"General Hughs, I have some information you might be interested in." the desk jockey turned to face his superior, the portly gentlemen dressed in blues.

"Yes Marks, what is it?"

"You asked if Mercer and Williams were potentially involved romantically." Marks typed furiously at his console, playing back an audiofile. "I've no doubt they are now."

Hughs listened in, face changing expression every few sounds. When played alongside a video feed filmed from the neighboring roof, he folded his arms and assesed what he was seeing. It was.. disgusting. Mercer wasn't human, yet he sought out women nonetheless. But.. Maybe there was some advantage to the developement. He continued to watch, only smiling at the thought of what might result from such a breeding. From the darkness of the night, a camera filmed the close encounter, much of it skewed by the frame of the window and a few curtains. It was quite obvious what had taken place however.

"Any signs if the woman is ill?" Hughs straightened up as the video feed ended.

"None sir. She seems perfectly healthy. Perhaps Mercer isnt contaigous- Maybe we've really defeated the virus."

"No son. I don't think we have. Just because Mercer isn't contaigous doesn't stop him from recreating that abomination and trying again. He must be dealt with, but not yet. He doens't have access to the materials he needs, so for now we're safe." Hughs adjusted his hat once more, raising it to scratch his head before settling it back onto his shiny cranium.

"Understood sir." Marks continued imputting data into his panel, arranging files and coalescing folders.

"Besides- if MOTHER and PARIAH were any indication, should that woman concieve at Mercer's hand, we may have just what we need. Lets see how this simmers for now boys."

Alex had finally found the chance to depart from Shanna's apartment, walking on air as he practically marched back to his apartment. He was certain Dana would be worried sick by the time he got back. Sure enough, Before he could even get a foot in the door, He was met with a frantic hug. Out of suprise, he hugged back.

"Where on earth were you last night? I thought you'd come right back home." Dana's voice carried an unempathetic tone of scoulding. Alex scratched the back of his unhooded head, wincing.

"Shanna invited me over for the eve-" God damnit, what was it with people and cutting him off all the time. Dana practically burst into a giggle, ushering her brother inside. Either could only fathom that they were being watched- spied on. A man sat in a dark vehicle half a block away, binoculars firmly planted to his eyes as he watched the interaction.

"Don't tell me you- Oh my god, you totally did didn't you?!" Dana yanked on Alex' wrist, pulling him towards the door with a mocking grin.

"Dana keep it down! Though, to be honest I'm glad you're not angry."

"Why on earth would I be angry Alex? I'm so glad to see you smiling again." She grabbed his cheek, jerking on it. He flailed, not even realising he had been smiling.

"Well, I know we discussed it a few months back, about me being possibly contaigous. But.. I really don't think I am." Alex frankly wasn't sure what to think. During the laboratory tests, the DX1118 strain- the BlackLight virus as his division had come to know it, proved to be unbelievably violent. It infected everything it touched- anyone that came in contact with bodily fluids of any kind. Saliva, Blood samples, tears. It all carried the strain in copius amounts. Yet Alex Mercer was miraculously incapable of spreading the virus. This was great news for him and Dana, and now- Shanna. It meant that.. she would remain healthy.

Both entered the apartment, the unmarked car turning on and speeding off down the one way road. Alex glanced back over his shoulder, ears hearing the tires squeal out impatiently.

Alex glanced distractedly at the calender pinned to the wall of Hank's kitchen. However it really wasn't Hank's kitchen anymore. He thought back, frowning gently. 6 and a half Months had passed since the night he'd sleapt with Shanna the first time- but it had been only 3 months since he recieved the very displeasing phonecall. Thankfully not about Shanna, but instead about Hank.

Dana rang him several times that day, though Alex was once again blissfully unaware to the rest of the world as he widdled the days away in the arms of his now pregnant lover. That evening when Alex returned home to spend time with Dana, he was met with crying and a broken heart.

Hank had taken his own life. A gruesome scene indeed. The old man, so distraught by the images he had become so fixated on, finally teetered off the tight rope into ever descending madness. The neighbors were the first to hear the gunshot- a small calibur handgun, likely a .22. Emergency responders arrived on the scene, effectively turning the apartment into a crime scene. First there was thought of fowl play, but a suicide letter in the form of an empty bottle of whiskey discharged all those thoughts. It was a month before Alex and Dana were allowed to move back in, Dana's name miraculously appearing on the property lease. Dana was questioned but everytime the officials sought to question Alex, he never seemed to be around. There wasn't a day that went by when Alex didn't feel responsible for the man's death. It was his fault Hank went mad. Dana did her best to convince her brother otherwise, with little effect.

Things weren't all bad though. Manhattan had been finally declared free of infection and reopened for evacuees to return to their homes. Those who suffered from property damage were moved into temporary housing while their homes were being rebuilt. Dana had gotten a job in Brooklyn, working as a column writer at the local press tribune. Her first article was a dedication to her longtime family friend, Hank. Alex had finally introduced her to Shanna, and was quite thankful that the two hit it off, quickly becoming best friends as Dana told countless stories of Alex' childhood. He would always retaliate, attempting to remember funny things that to happened to Dana. He always fell short, memory still a fraction of its original whole. Meanwhile, Shanna was happily 6 and a half months along, the ultrasounds revealing a perfectly healthy infant.. A girl to be exact. Dana was just as excited as Shanna to bring her niece into the world.

"So Alex.. have you had any of your nightmares lately?" Dana placed a warm cup of coffee infront of Alex on the coffee table. He jerked a little, having been brought form yet another day dream. Shaking his head, he sat up straight and blew at the fuming liquid.

"Just a few.. last one was.. maybe 2 and a half months ago, right after Hank--" He paused, glancing at his coffee blankly as if to stare at his reflection.

"Alex, It wasn't your fault.. Hank.. you remember I told you he was in 'Nam. He lost his whole squad. He even thought his wife was still alive. It wasn't long before he would have needed to be committed." Dana hugged Alex tightly from behind but he shrugged before pushing his chair back and pacing to the other side of the table.

"I should have had better control- I should have been able to keep the infection in check but.. I couldn't Dana. Hank knew what I'm capable of. That knowledge drove him mad. Everything just.. I don't know. All of this is my god damned fault." With his shoulders hung low and his eyelids heavy, he frowned. Dana folded her hands infront of her, shifting from leg to leg as if thinking.

"Don't let it get to you Alex.. Sometimes things happen that we.. have no control over."

"No control? Do you think I didn't have control when I marched into Penn Station and released that plague? I had control- I knew full well what I was doing and I -- He.."

"Alex Just stop it. Please. You're my brother, and I'll always love you no matter what." Dana lurched forward, grabbing his arm before wheeling him around and staring him straight in the eyes. He was left utterly speechless, mouth agape to utter silence. He turned to face away, unable to stand up to her bravery. Dana was the only person that ever got away with what she did.

"I should get going. Shanna wanted to see me up at the hospital. I'll be back either tonight or tomorrow." Another heavy sigh escaped his lips as he hugged Dana one last time, lifting his signature leather jacket from the coat wrack then slipping it on as he walked out the door and shut it behind him. Dana slumped into a chair, elboes on her lap as she nestled her head in her palms, trying not to cry.

"General Hughs, the extraction operation went flawlessly. The team was successfully able to sedate, apprehend and examine APHRODITE. Results confirm-"

"--That the child carries Mercer's strain of the virus?" Hughs leaned forward over Marks' shoulder as he often did, examining the data on the terminal ahead. Two samples were placed on top of another- a perfect match.

"Correct sir. The team also reported that the mother is still perfectly healthy aside from the usual effects of pregnancy. The viral strain isnt present in any samples taken." Marks cycled through various files, glancing up at his superior.

"It won't be much longer before we move in and bring APHRODITE into military custody. Once she's out of the city, we'll deploy an extraction team to take out ZEUS. His usefulness has come to its end. For Blackwatch, he's become a liability." Hughs pivoted on the heel of his shiny formal shoes, carrying on about his business to discuss the newest findings with his superiors.

"mmm.. So what shall we name her?" Shanna shifted on the examination bed as the nurse began putting away the various medical devices. Alex gave her a dumbfounded look, clueless. He blinked a few times as she jumped, "I can feel her kicking.. Here. feel.." She grabbed his hand, placing it on her bare round belly. He felt a bump or two as well, sharing her suprise.

"Mm. I really don't know.." Very little processed very quickly these days. He'd dated many other women or at least, he imagined he did, but nothing about his past indicated he had ever fathered a child before. This was certainly a first. For the Prototype, and for Alexander J Mercer. He could name complex compounds and equations in his sleep, but the thought of raising a mere child utterly stupified him.

"I was thinking.. naming her after her father.." Shanna's subtle features shifted as she came to glance at that belly once more, content with the life growing inside. Alex' hand still rested on her belly, a little smirk crossing his lips.

"What Alexander? Naw.. that's not a good name for a girl."

"No-- Alexis. Alexis Mercer." Her eyes connected with Alex' icy blue ones, her smile captivating his gaze once more.

"Why my last name? Yours is much nicer." He insisted, removing his hand to fold his arms in a futile attempt to fake disappointment. Shanna was of course, not convinced.

"Maybe because one day.. when the time comes, she would have to get a name change either way." She was always hinting at tieing the knot but marriages born from pregnancy had a high rate of failiure, or so Alex heard. He didn't want to risk it, at least not so early.

"Oh.. well. Fair enough, I suppose. You have a good point there."

With their things packed, Alex assisted Shanna to the exit where they boarded a taxi and rode home. His feelings of discomfort around anyone with an earpiece faded. Blackwatch hade made no attempts to apprehend him in the last 8 months. Maybe they didn't know he was there at all. Whatever the case may be, things had settled down quite nicely.

Some of you might feel that their relationship is progressing insanely fast. Think about it though. Realife is very much the same, so think before you review please.


	9. Chapter 9

That last chapter was a doozey- seems no one liked it :P Understandable though. I've effectively taken everything out of prototype that made it a joyride and turned it into cable televisions next hit drama!

just kidding. This chapter should be alot more fun to read. =3 Frankly I like it ;3;

Icy blue eyes focused halfmindedly on his phone, the dingey screen scratched and worn from use. Broad fingers slid over the tanished silver keys as he opened the calender. Just another few days before Shanna was expected to go into the doctors for a checkup. She was progressing just fine, the new life within her growing without fault of any kind.

For the once vicious cold-blooded killer, this life was.. well, he couldn't find a word in his vast vocabulary to put feeling to his state of mind. Things were in an eternal dream state. Life seemed more normal now than he had every recalled things being before the outbreak. There were some days when he had almost completely forgotten that he could scale a skyscraper in a single bound, or cleave an elephant in two with one swipe of his arm. That was his secret- one he had yet to inform Shanna of. One he never intended to inform Shanna of..

But the nightmares were coming back. This time worse than before. For a week straight, he would awake in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat. It didn't matter if he'd sleapt in Dana's apartment, or in Shanna's- he'd always manage to make a terrible mess of the bedding, but cleaned it up before Shanna ever awoke. Her reaction to the scar tissue on his back was bad enough. He tried to pass it off as a burn, but Shanna saw through the lie and frowned, simply saying that if Alex wasn't comfortable talking about it, he didn't have to and that he didn't have to make up stupid excuses to please her.

"Aleeexxxx.... It's time Alex.. Wake up." The voices again. Elizabeth's was loudest, followed by a chorus of faint deathly whispers. "I said.. wake up!"

Alex turned on his heels, facing in every direction only to see neverending pitch blackness. The voices were coming from every direction, like a maelstrom of sensory overload. He could feel his head throbbing, his heart racing and his skin burning. Each voice was getting louder and louder until they were almost screams. Each time they did so, the burn got worse. Exponentially so.

"Now be a good boy.. and tell me-" Alex turned, running away from nothing in a desperate attempt to shut out the screams of death and cries of pain. He was a prisoner in his own mind.

"Tell me.. Where's my baby. Where's my precious son.." With a wayward glance over his shoulder, he lost his footing and tumbled forward. Rolling over was a mistake- Elizabeth Green standing over him with a look of a woman scorned. In all her naked glory, she bent forward, clutching the man 'round his neck, lifting him high. His feet dangled above the ground helplessly, his hands failing to pry the vice grip of despite his efforts.

"Tell me where he is, or I'll kill you! I'll rip you apart!" She was squeezing tighter now. His chest felt tight, the corners of his vision growing dark. She was just a tiny thing, but the strength in that one hand alone was a force to be wreckoned with. He hadn't recalled Elizabeth being quite this strong in their previous counter.

It was all a dream though- not a dream.. Dreams were pleasent, and nice. This was a living nightmare. He fought still to free his throat from her death grip, but she simply wouldn't budge. Then he could feel his body being pulled to one side, followed by a violent jerk as he flew through the emptyness- into something. His right shoulder ached, the ache spreading until it consumed every inch of scarred flesh along his body.

"Alex wake up! Please! Wake up, It's me Shanna!" Shanna shook Alex' shoulder frantically, hoping to jostle the terrified man from his troubled sleep. His eyes finally opened but she wasn't met with a contented smile. Instead Alex rolled from the bed, clutching at his right shoulder in agony. His nails dug into the skin, only adding more crimson to the warm red dampness of the scar tissue. Shanna stared in horror. What she witnessed was beyond any scientific explanation. Deep in her mind, she knew it all along. But she didn't want to admit it to herself that she had sleapt not just once, but on several occassions, with the world's most wanted man.

"S-Shanna. Get out of here. Please.. Just.. get somewhere safe!" Alex' words broke only to desperate screams, every inch of skin coated in a cold sticky sweat as his skin burned red hot like a fire all over. Shanna did exactly the opposite, crawling across the matress to focus on her lover, who was keeled over, hand clutching the throbbing scar tissue. Something shifted beneath that bloodied skin, the shape of a face forming from the disgusting matter.

"Alex, Oh god no.."

"RUN, NOW!" Another scream broke the serenity once more. Alex felt control over his own powers slipping. A torrent of raging black and crimson tendrils creapt up from his fingers, forming 4 massive talons. Then bulked up powerful arms, then a blade, back to claws. He couldn't focus on maintaining control. The only clear thought was the fact his worst nightmare was coming true.

The face rose up higher, giving way to a full head.. Then a neck.. and finally a pair of narrow shoulders. One arm seemed to pull at its fleshy prison, yanking itself free before using the small of Alex' back as support. Then came the other arm, pushing harder as a bare feminen chest erupted. Then a waist, legs..

Before Shanna stood a young woman, features distinguishing themselves into firey locks of red hair icy blue eyes, soft pink lips. The figure stood firmly on the wood flooring, bare body dripping with blood and plasma. Slowly it turned, glancing down at her capter. Shanna backed away, the look in this.. things eye being one of complete and utter hatred towards Alex.

"Where's my baby.. Where's my precious baby boy.. Mommy's coming honey.." Alex watched as the yet unnamed woman pulled a leg back, thrusting it foward into a violent kick. He was far to weak to stand, let alone defend or retaliate against that bonebreaking blow. His chest burned, taloned hands gripping weakly at the floor as he tried to stand.

"E-Liza..beth.. It can't be.." He grunted out, eyes struggling to make any sense of the nude abomination before him. He hissed once more, clenching his clawed hands as Elizabeth bent down to clutch a lock of his short curled brown hair forcefully. Elizabeth pulled the brute of a man to eyelevel, frowning in dissatisfaction.

"Look at what you've become.. nothing but a weak shell of your former self.. Just think.. we could have ruled the world together.." MOTHER spoke softly, voice an elegant whisper as her tongue came to gently encircle Alex' own. He growled with distaste, seeing fit to clamp down on the sickening appendage. Elizabeth's peaceful disposition gave way to one of inherent rage as she thrust her hand out to throw Alex, other hand clamped over her mouth.

"As if.. I'd rather die before I ever let you do that." He was beggining to regain strength, finding what little courage he could muster to stand.

"That can be arrange-" the femme froze mid word, cool calculating gaze diverting from Alex to a figure she had come to ignore- Shanna gripped the stock of a pistol tightly, the smoking barrel aimed straight for Elizabeth's head. The bullet ripped through Elizabeth's left eye, the wound closing and restoring itself to perfection in a matter of seconds.

"You stay away from him, or I swear to god I'll kill you." As she took a step forward, Alex turned and shouted, doing his best to discourage Shanna from any more heroics. Just as usual, she wasn't easily turned away. Instinct was taking over, the father and lover stepping infront of Shanna as Elizabeth practically slithered forward. A single wave of her dainty hand sent Alex flying. He had lost enough biomass 'reincarnating' Elizabeth that he was barely concious. How could he hoped to defend Shanna- to defend his child.

"You don't deserve to die, whore.. At least, Not yet.." That demented smile reversed into a displeased scowl as Elizabeth turned, sprinting towards the nearest window before diving through it. Alex heaved himself up, able to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth bounding from building to building- in the direction of Manhattan. Using what little strength he had, he stood himself up proper and stumbled towards the window. Shanna stood, frozen solid as her mind conflicted between love or fear.

"I can explain." Were the first words out of Alex' mouth when he managed to regain his composure through the daunting silence.

"There's no need to explain Alex." Shanna responded weakly, legs remaining ridged as she refused to approach. Alex knew well to keep his distance. Every inch apart hurt though. He knew he had possibly blown everything he had worked so hard for in the previous months.

"I didn't tell you because.. well. I was afraid you'd leave, and report me to the authorities. I am the world's most wanted man after all." He tried to laugh, hoping to bring a little humor to the situation. Shanna didn't chuckle, she didn't even smile. That gentle innocent face was twisted into fear.

"I understand Alex.. I'm more hurt that you lied to me."

"I did it to protect you Shanna- you and Alexis." Neither of them had decided on their child's name, but as the words escaped from his lips, he saw Shanna's defenses fall.

"So.. what happened exactly.." Shanna folded her hands together, shifting uneasily.

Alex had no choice now. He had to come clean. He couldn't continue to lie to Shanna.

"I'll tell you everything- later though." He paused, taking a deep breath before looking out from the window. Pedestrians were beggining to gather in curiosity. "I have to go after her.. before she hurts you.. and the baby..." Color was slowly beggining to return to his vision, heart rate slowing. Hearing began to normalise. He could distinctively make out the sounds of sirens. "Shanna.. Get out of here.. go to my apartment.. go to Dana..I'll meet you back there and.. tell you everything."

"I'm not leaving you Alex.." Shanna shook her head in retaliation, tears running down her face from fear. She had made her decision, despite knowing what Alex could do- despite knowing what he had _done_. One step, then another, as she built up the courage to approach Alex, whose arms had still been shifted to a pair of razer sharp claws. It was still her lover.. right? At least, beneath that pained expression was the graceful lover she had given herself to so many times before.. right?

"Now.. isnt the time to be.. stubborn Shanna. Please.. Just. get to Dana.. I'll come meet up when.. I can." Each word gave way to heavy breaths as Alex began to heave himself out of the window. Before he could push himself out, Shanna grabbed his arm and pulled back, dropping the pistol as she did so. He turned his claws away, hoping that they wouldn't catch her. The texture terrified Shanna- the flesh rippling beneath as if it were sentient tissue.

"You're hurt Alex. I saw what that woman did to you. Whatever you can do, you're in no condition to do it. Lets go to the hospital, we can sneak you in and get you patched up." Poor innocent naive Shanna. Alex grimaced, coming to sit on the windowsill before the claws faded to gentle but firm human hands. He clutched both of her cheeks, thumbs whiping away her tears before he brushed her hair aside. She cluched his wrists, squeezing gently before swallowing to regain her composure.

"You can't Shanna.. Alot of people.. they wan't me dead. They're on their way now.. If they catch you here.. there's.. no telling what they might do to you. Get out. Now." Their eyes made contact, Shanna's will broken as she glanced down in shame. She was powerless to help Alex, not that she or any of her associates could do anything for him. As her chin dropped, he cupped his fingers gently beneath it and lifted so that their eyes met once more. "I'll be fine Shanna. A nuclear explosion couldn't kill me.. What makes you think she will.." The tears were beggining to stop and she nodded, doing her best to smile.

"Just.. promise me you'll come back tonight. Safely." She squeezed at his wrists again. As confirmation, he leaned in, pressing his lips to her own. He was thankfull that Shanna returned the favor, her fear having little effect on her affection for him.

"I promise Shanna.. Now go.. they're still a few blocks away. You can make it down the block and out of sight by the time they arrive.. I'll be long gone before they can catch me." With that, he turned and braced himself again the window frame before thrusting himself out. It was 10 story drop. Shanna watched with horror as he hit the ground with concrete-splitting force before he began to weakly trot off into a sprint. People below gave a frantic cry, watching the half naked man storm off at break neck speeds. After throwing on some pants, she grabbed a jacket and rushed out of the room towards the staff elevator, knowing full and well that any emergency services would take the public elevator.

At ground level, Shanna could see people gathering at the other end of the alley. As she pulled her jacket tight, she walked on down the street, the sirens getting louder. The night felt colder and more desolate than ever before.


	10. Chapter 10

It was an unsettling 36 hours before Alex reappeared at Dana's apartment. The air was uncomfortably still and thick, making him swallow hard. Dana was out cold in the kitchen, hunched over on the dining table. A glance around the corner revealed Shanna asleep on the couch, the blanket she was using piled up on the floor next to her. The man slid over, bending down and grasping the blanket gently before laying it back over Shanna. He could only sit and wait until either of them woke up so he could explain what happened.

Hank's old recliner was a little flat in the cushions but it was still comfortable- and smelled of old cherry pipe tobacco. Taking in two full lungs of the calming scent, Alex gave a half relieved, half exhausted sigh. He was still spent, his search for Elizabeth turning up a dead end on account of increased military presence. Manhattan was crawling with more Blackwatch and US Army grunts than before. Security was too tight for him to follow her, but the abandonned Gentek building on the horizon was his best bet. He wondered how Elizabeth managed to blow past them without their notice. Perhaps she had sleeper infected. He hadn't bothered to shift his vocal range to check. Besides, doing so would have required he expended more energy than he had. He had failed to consume anything- food or otherwise since Elizabeth's unfortunate escape, effectively leaving him physically and mentally drained.

Alex snapped awake, legs almost flailing as his cold blue eyes shot open. He felt something warm on his face and it startled him- what suprised him more was that he managed to actually sleep for once. The voices.. they were just timid whispers now... Little memories here and there. So quiet that ignoring them was simple. One voice though.. So pleasent, and real.

Shanna stared down at Alex pleadingly, eyes silently encouraging him to smile and kiss her. How long had he been out? It was nearly sunset, and he recalled arriving just before dawn...

"Its 8:30 PM. I was just watching you sleep." Shanna answered as if reading his mind, coming to sit on Alex' lap. He rubbed his eyes in a fruitless attempt to put things into focus. "I started to worry when you didn't show up." Alex responded by gently draping his tired arms 'round her body, hands resting gently on her pregnant stomach. Just about there he thought.. Not long.

"I couldn't find Elizabeth.. She's out there somewhere- and every day she spends free, is another day you and Dana are in danger." He was compelled to bury his face in Shanna's neck in shame. Instead she gave one of those knowing smiles as she always did. How did she do it?

"We'll be fine Alex.. How could Elizabeth possibly find us anyways?" Shanna sat up, making a motion to stand.

"Pretty easily, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. These powers.." Well, he told Shanna he would explain, and now was as good a time as ever. He stood, turning Shanna to sit in the recliner.

"What about them? It wasn't nice of you to keep that secret from me Alex."

"How did you honestly expect me to explain?!" Alex was nearly shouting with aggrevation. He placed both hands on his face defeatedly before turning his back and pacing the room. Shanna was silent, thankfully. "I didn't ask for these.. What I remember- No.." He paused, swallowing.

"No?"

"What Alex remembers." Alex made eye contact with Shanna, and for a moment, she felt like she was staring into the eyes of a lost nameless stranger...

"But you ARE Alex." She insisted.

"I only LOOK like Alexander Mercer, Shanna. When I woke up in the morgue, I had nothing to go by but a few faint memories and some scientific whackjobs about to slice me open." He seemed frantic, thoughts in disarray.

"What are you talking about Alex, You're not making any sense..." Shanna protested.

"I knew this wouldn't be easy to explain. I've tried to explain it to myself. The only thing I know is that..Whatever Alex did- Created me. I have to pay for his mistakes. The virus- the one that infected all of Manhattan-"

He could see the fear encroaching on Shanna's already confused face. Oh how he wanted to just kneel before her and tell her everything was going to be fine. He knew these feelings weren't Alex'- they were His. She seemed to see the desire in his eyes and relaxed, if only a little.

"Yes. Alexander J. Mercer was responsible for the creation and release of the BLACKLIGHT Virus in Penne Station. The media called him a terrorist. I woke up in the Morgue, with no idea who-- or WHAT I was. And these powers.. They came from the virus. They've caged me, but released me. I can go anywhere, be anything.." There was a sense of pride in his voice now as he stared enigmatically at the cieling. A soft smile played on his lips, almost innocent like a child in a summer breeze.

"So then- everything.. you and me.. It was..?" Alex turned on his heels in the flash of a second, sliding to his knees before taking Shanna's hands into his own.

"Not at all. I may not.. BE Alex Mercer, but my feelings are real. This might sound strange to you but normal human emotions are.. different to me. I remember so little of what used to be Alex. Not enough to understand what this desire was to be close to you. But I've learned. Ever since I've wanted to protect you- to keep Alexis safe." His cool blue eyes showed signs of watering up. Shanna was already crying.

"So then- if you're infected.. what about Alexis? What about our baby?" A new realisation struck her, one as horrifying as the last. It was all so much, but she did her best to remain calm. This thought hadn't dawned on Alex until now.

"I.. Don't know. I never really thought about it." He backed away, rolling from his knees to his rear as he brought his knees up, elbows resting on them as his hands passed through his hair.

"Do you think she will.."

"I don't know."

There was an unsettling silence for a good while. Only the ticking of the old grandfather clock in the corner. Tick.. tick.. tick... He heard a floorboard creak. His eyes darted up to the doorway where Dana stood. Alex finally stood up, crossing the room to stand before Dana who quickly threw her arms around her brother's waist.

"I don't care what you say.. You're my brother.. Always will be Alex.."

"How long have you been there?"

"Since I heard you shouting- I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have spied on you..." She let go, backing away before folding both hands into each other nervously and standing on one foot.

"No, No.. Its fine. This concerns you as well." Alex turned back to Shanna who looked as if she was desperatly trying to process all the new information. Viruses, mutant powers.. And to top it all off, her lover spoke as if he..no-- IT wasn't even human. But rather a scientifically engineered sentient organism inhabiting a vessel. This was only something you saw in the movies.

"So.. Alex, did you find Elizabeth?"

"I couldn't find her. I looked all day. I can only guess she went back to the GenTek building to find her son." Shanna perked up, holding her stomach.

"Son? She didn't look a day over 19. But after seeing what happened.."

"She won't find him. PARIAH's been at Fort Detrich since the 1950's." Alex crossed the room again to sit on the couch. Dana followed.

"19...50's?" Shanna's eyes were wide- "Just how OLD was Elizabeth?"

"Yes. The first time in history this virus was released, in Hope, Idaho. Mercer simply refined the virus and made it 10 times deadlier in just a few short years. I visited my-.. His apartment several months back before the Military blew it smitherines to try and eliminate me." He cupped his hands together, evaluating his knuckles and hands with a strange sense of purpose. "Unfortunatly I can't say I helped prevent its spread through Manhattan either. These powers weren't meant to save- only destroy. With them I will tear Elizabeth to pieces."

Shanna could see the man's eyes burning with a feral resolve. It terrified her. Loving someone as dangerous and volatile as Alex was a health risk, she knew. Leaving wasn't an option. He might seek her out and kill her just as he had done before. Then again he had never once abused her before, why would he have a reason now. Furthermore she was carrying his child- one he obviously had every intention of sticking around to care for, even if the child exhibited the same attributes as her father.

Dana finally spoke up to break the silence of thought, making Alex and Shanna glance in her direction simaltaniously. "Whatever happens Alex, I know you'll w- Alex?"

Alex' eyes had closed. He was hunched over, completely still now. She shook his shoulder and he snapped awake. "Tired?"

"Not tired, nessecarily but.. weak. It's.. been a long time since I consumed anything more than normal calories. I can't sustain my metabolism on regular foods. You know that. And when Elizabeth escaped, she used what excess biomass I had to form herself. Its why I'm so weak. I can't sustain any transformations for extended times until I get more genetic material to regenerate with."

"Genetic material- you mean like blood?" Shanna reached over to the nearby sidetable and picked up her hospital badge.

"No. Living beings. People." He was blunt. There was no way to sugar coat the fact that he had to kill to live. "Remember how I said these poweres freed yet caged me? If I sustain too much damage- say, losing a limb or substancial amounts of blood, I have to consume a human being.. I've made it a point to only target criminals and harmful minds but it wasn't always like that. Because of it, I never have silence. Thousands of minds, memories and words all swimming around in my head. Its hard to think straight sometimes." Dana was uncomfortably silent. This was the first time Alex really talked about any of this. She knew he was suffering but how much had been a total mystery. It also explained his nightmares and bouts of worldly detatchment.

"You said you can also go anywhere.. become.. anything..?"

There were no secrets now. Shanna needed to know. Alex only knew one way of explaining it- through demonstration. He chose a simple form, of an unnamed blackwatch soldier. One of literally hundreds he had dispatched on his unnessecary quest for mindless revenge.

Shanna watched in horror and.. intrigue as the fabric itself shifted structure- as if the clothing itself had been integrated into his cellular assembly. A mad flurry of red and black tendrils surrounded his extremeties as he shifted from the feet up. Riding boots became combat boots. Jeans shifted to buckled pants. His jacked became a bullet proof vest and his hood shifted into goggles. Once she was past the fear, she managed to speak.

"And you.. I mean Alex created this?"

"Afraid so. Fortunatly no other samples of this strain exist.. Mercer fled to Penne station with the only one and died defending it." Even his voice shifted, vocal cords arranged to match the voice of whichever poor soul was unfortunate to fall victim. The change frightened him. He hadn't phased into another's form in.. He couldn't remember exactly. Each day had blurred together into an endless moment. His legs buckled, and the form faded- unable to be maintained. Dana barely managed to catch him and coach his form to the couch.

Shanna was silent, deeper in thought than she had ever been before. Trusting Alex was always difficult because sometimes he would come home at random hours and be gone for a good length of time. But he was still the man she loved, right..? It was hard to know. Hard to love a monster.

Alex rubbed his temples. This was all becoming so aggitating. "To make matters worse-" There was someone knocking at the door. Dana's eyes focused on the window to see if she could see through it. The blinds abscured her view. Another knock came.

"Who is it!?" She called.

"This is the police, Open up." Said a voice back. Dana made eye contact with Alex who gave a small nod. Dana reluctantly reached for the handle and opened the door.

"Dana Mercer, Step back." She did as told, a well dressed general pressing the barrel of his gun to her face. "We have business with your brother. We know he's here."

Alex was still as ever on the couch, simply sitting and acting as if nothing was happening. In reality he was utterly exhausted, aleady assessing the situation for the quickest method of elimination. "Nice to meet you General Hughs."

The portly aged figure seemed suprised, ginuinely so. "I see we're already acquainted."

"Yes I.. had a runin with a few of your officers several months ago. I've known about you for a while." Alex had stood, hands sunk into his jacket pocket. The whole crew had made its way into the apartment- two heavily armed blackwatch operatives and Hughs himself who was holstering his firearm beneath his dress coat.

"I know all about you as well Mr. Mercer, and your entire operation here. We know about Shanna especially." Hughs seemed to speak with a sense of victory over the mutant, having little visible fear. Alex' keen nose however told him that the man was on the verge of pissing himself.

"Is that so? Then you'll know full and well that I won't let you lay a finger on her." He took a step forward only to have two rifles pointed directly at him- M-16's, fully loaded. He paused.

"No no no ZEUS. Stay right where you are. We have snipers surrounding our location and the moment I give the order, they'll open fire. We know it won't kill you but Shanna and Dana are.. only human after all..." There was that cocky tune to his voice again. It grated on Alex' nerves. He could tell the fat man wasn't lying. The military never did fuck around with its assets.

"What is it you want from me?"

"We want you to come back home, back to Manhattan.. Help us take down Elizabeth then maybe we'll.. discuss your conditional surrender. After all everything about you is Military property." His hand was perched on his firearm.

Alex gave Dana and Shanna little glances, their wet eyes filled with fear.

"That's a very generous offer you make General but.. I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down."

"You don't have much of a choice. Resist and we will fill your sorry ass so full of BloodTox that you won't know which way is up or down. Those snipers? They're firing specialised rounds filled with the stuff. The impact alone will pulverise a human skull but the BloodTox will eat you alive from the inside out." The general was obviously getting irritated, his round cheeks growing redder.

Alex was in a tight spot. His experiances led him to believe that their apartment building was surrounded on all sides- 3 across the street, one to either side and 3 behind that all yielded good nests for skilled snipers. If his estimations were correct, there were easily 20 or so. Each likely had the chamber loaded with enough amunition to bring down an elephant. And the BloodTox made it especially bad. He had grown immune to it in Manhattan but there was enough reason to believe that the Military had changed it to remain effective- After all every counter-virus had to remain as vigalent as its target.

"Let Dana and Shanna leave the room and we'll continue the conversation."

"Fair enough with me. Ladies?" The general motioned to the hallway.

"Alex, have you gone mad? We'-"

"Dana, I don't have time to argue with you. Take Shanna to the bedroom and stay there until I say you can come out." He watched as both Shanna and Dana timidly creapt off down the hallway. He didn't want either of them to see what was about to happen. Alex also knew that the bedroom's walls were adjacent to the next building and other rooms. The only window in the room was also at a bad enough angle that getting a good bead on the girls would make all killshots impossible.

"So. What would becoming your pet do for Dana, Shanna and myself?" He began once he knew the girls were safely in the room. He heard no choppers so there likely weren't storm troopers prepared to deploy in through the windows. Experiances led him to believe that there were likely shock troopers outside however.

"Dana and Shanna will be left alone, if watched and allowed to live unconditionally. We will have to take custody of the child however. Like we said everything about -you-, even your genetic material is OUR property." Hughs said in a matter-of-factly manner. Alex inwardly growled. He really hated this overpaid pompous asshole.

"And me?"

"Well we won't tear you pieces if that's comforting. Think of it as.. you'd be a super hero! Contracted by the miltary.. You live, Dana and Shanna live and your child grows up in a nice home where we can ensure her safety... It'd be just like those comic books you read as a kid. If I recall, wasn't...X-men your favorite?"

Alex twitched, mind ticking with anger. It was like a bomb waiting to go off.

"I know what you sick fucks do to children. You don't think I don't know all about PARIAH? You tore that boy right out of his mother's womb, shipped him off to some godforsaken military installation. Locked the boy away in some dark room while you performed sick experiments on him." Rage was seeping from his words. His body had begun to fluctuate.

"Calm down ZEUS. Don't forget about our Sni-" Hughs flinched, taken aback by a gutwrenching pain in his chest. His eyes followed the long glistening black mass that had been violently thrust through his heart and left lung- preventing him from speaking or screaming. It led to Mercer whose eyes were so filled with rage and hate as to leave the two operative bodyguards standing motionless with fear. They had pissed off Satan himself.

The black mass expanded, a flurry of red and ebony tendrils encircling the fat man's body in the blink of an eye as they broke down its structure one cell at a time- compressing it into an unrecognisable substance that was quickly absorbed. Alex seemed to beam with a replenished strength as he leapt at the strike force, grabbing both their heads in two massive clawed hands before crushing their skulls, helmets included- like grapes. The tendrils welled up again and encased their bleeding corpses before vanishing into nothing.

_"Tell him we've got snipers with him anything to make him back down. If he attacks, you're fucked. And we're too low on manpower to send in backup. Get what we want and get the hell out of there."_

_"And Elizabeth?"_

_"She's in the Gentek building. We're sending in an extraction team."_

The memories stopped- they were.. bluffing! Was the military in that much dissarray that they couldn't expend more manpower on a situation more desperate than the war in Afghanistan? Alex gave a slight chuckle, feeling a rush of extacy overwhelm him. The sensation was exciting in many ways, and when he realised it, it disturbed him. Did he truly enjoy killing this much? No, He couldn't. He was just tired and their deaths were a nessecary evil.

He heard coughing, a wreched sound as someone vomited. He turned, Shanna bent over a puddle of bile. His only assumption was that she had the misfortune of witnessing his act of murder.

"Damnit I told you two to stay in the bedroom. I didnt.. I didnt want either of you seeing that."

"What about the snipers?!" Dana asked, seemingly unphased by the remarkable happening.

"There were none. They were bluffing. Good news is I'm back at strength. Bad news is- If he doesn't report in, the military will know I've deposed of them. We need to move to a new safehouse." He turned to the window then back to Dana.

"I've got a friend close to the harbor.. He lives up in a penthouse. Im sure he'd be willing to put u-" Alex stopped her, ramming his phone into her hands despite the fact she already had her own before leaning in to offer Shanna support.

"Make that call. I want to be out of here in an hour.. Shanna, sit down for a bit while I pack your things." As much as he wanted to confort her, they really needed to move. The situation had just gotten far worse.


	11. Chapter 11

Dana had tried to stop him, she really did. But like the man he was before, what was now Alex was stubborn. He refused to sit back and wait for Elizabeth to come to them. He had to go to her- Blackwatch or not. Dana only had a slammed door to look on as she tried to stop Alex' ascent to the tower's roof. By the time she had reopened the door and peered over the edge of the roof, a weightless man shaped figure was fading into the commotion as it glided to the roof of the building a few blocks over. Manhattan was an ill omen on the horizon, a few fires still burning to illuminate the cool evening in an unsettling orange.

She lingered for what felt like an eternity, watching her brother's sillouette disappear. Whispering a prayer into the wind for her Alex' safety, Dana turned and made her way back to the exit door. Just as she pressed the handle, something hit the highest floor hard and fast. The building shook violetntly, startling all its inhabitants.

The bridge to Manhattan was approaching fast. A solid blockade ahead keapt any unwanted guests from making their way across. Security cameras sweapt side to side on the catwalks below- his previous method of crossing the harbor. Now there was no way across. At least at first glance that was the case. Upon further inspection from a nearby rooftop, Alex could discern that the Viral Detectors had been disabled. Their once flashing green lights were dorment. Seemed Blackwatch wasn't expecting guests.

He could feel energy surging within him. The recent 'meal' had left him invigorated and ready. That energy seemed to respond to his smile, emerging as raw change. Everything shifted, giving the disguise of a Blackwatch officer as he called up the memory. This would get him close enough to the gate but he had to consume someone still /living/. No doubt the military was tracking its losses to know who was alive and who was dead. No doubt they knew his form was that of a dead man.

Once on ground level, he acted as if he was on a standard patrol around the Quarentine parameter. A few military grunts saluted his way but he simply gave a nod for them to stand down. They all seemed... so relaxed, but he couldn't risk getting over confident.

Something didn't seem right. Something was off. A chill ran down his spine as he scanned the area. The pupils of his still ice blue eyes opened wide, becoming black discs as he surveyed the area. He could see no signs of infected individuals other than himself as he glanced at his own gloves. The reassurance still didn't comfort him. Something was strange and it made his breath hitch in his throat. Just as he was about to scan his surroundings normally, he felt himself collide with another man.

The BlackWatch Commander nearly came out of his shoes, resitting his goggles before reaching for his gun. "Damnit, What in God's name are you doing soldier?!" Alex stammered before coming to attention. His 'host's' memories led him to believe that he was a single rank lower.

"P-Patrolling sir.." he responded a little weakly. The man before him didn't look convinced.

"Your name soldier?"

Alex was silent, mind trying to make the connections fast enough. So many memories..

"I said. Your NAME Soldie-" The man coughed, bending over to wrech in pain.

Alex felt his heart race, the tendrils seeping from his bodyarmor and clothes to encase the officer before him. The corner was thankfully quiet and dark on account of an alleyway. He backed in, using the cover of a dumpster to allow his form to shift. Then he stepped back out onto the street to retrieve the soldier's firearm that he'd dropped. He then made his way towards the barracade and approached the guards on duty. They immediatly came to attention, saluting.

"Commander Neil!"

"At Ease. I need to cross." The two patrolmen looked at each other then back at Alex.

"Right away sir. One moment while we unlock the gate." The first turned to a keypad, punching in a series of numbers and symbols. An alarm buzzed and the locking mechanism gave way. The gate then slid to the side on wheels, allowing Alex passage whom simply began to walk. By the time the gates behind him had closed, he was off in a sprint so fast that anyone around didn't have any time to comprehend what had happened.

A few blocks in and Alex came to a stop, glancing up at the sky as an explosion rocked the night sky. Yet another, an orange fireball rising from the sky at the edge of the quarentine. His walkie came to life, radio chatter galore.

"What the fuck was that!?"

"Report, Little Mama. Big Papa and Fat Boy has fallen off our radars. Over."

"Somethin' just ripped right through em!" A pause, the pilot gasping in fear. "NO. GET BACK. STOP-AUUGUHHH---" A blood curdling scream and another explosion. The line went dead, only static to fill the still air.

A volley of tanks screamed past, a few more choppers buzzing overhead frantically. Then came a few platoons of footsoldiers. Alex could read their ammunition packs on their belts--DX1120. BLOODTOX. As they passed, he thought deeply on what could possibly be the culprit.

Nothing could possibly bring down a BlackHawk, let alone 'blow right through it'-- Unless. Alex jumped, a noise startling him. He began digging into his pocket to retrieve the device responsible. His phone rang: Dana. He answered without hesitation.

"Elizab-eth.. Here.. Shanna's.. the baby...Please come quickly.." Dana's voice cracked on the other side, along with a frantic scream and a distressed grunt. The line went dead with Alex staring into nothingness with a daze. His heart was racing. Elizabeth took down the choppers. She had to have been. She was the only person, the only THING capable of doing that.

Something had angered her. Maybe she knew he was coming and saw it as a chance to strike. He couldn't bare to fathom the worst. In the flash of an eye he pocketted the phone and took to the streets. He could clear the checkpoint with ease but it meant blowing his cover and raising a truly unneeded alarm. None of that mattered, Dana and Shanna needed him.

It was only the blink of an eye before Alex had arrived at the skyscraper he had moved Dana and Shanna to. Sure they were safe from the military but he had never anticipated that Elizabeth would make an advance. People were already gathering below as visible sparks flew from the upper stories a good 50 stories up. Chunks of glass littered the ground and still othes fell. Now was no time for secrecy. Spectators or not, Alex let go of his inhabitions and sprung to life. Soaring high, he latched onto the building and hurdled himself forward, leaving behind a crowd of amazed and horrified people. Some even recognised what they were watching and screamed. It was the Manhattan inccident all over again- OUTSIDE the Quarentine.

The scene was gruesome. Broken glass everywhere, furniture shredded and tossed aside like paper machet. He spotted Dana first, barely concious with a dead dellphone in hand. Alex immediatly knealt at her side, shifting himself back to the form she knew. He rolled her over, gently tapping her cheek with his hand as he called her name: "Dana can you hear me?!"

"Alex.. Elizabeth came.. after you left.. She broke in.. started screaming.. screaming for Shanna.. I tried to stop her but..." It was obvious that Dana was in bad shape; Three of her ribs were broken, another two cracked. Her leg was shattered and blood dribbled from the sides of her mouth, indicating internal damage. Alex bit his lower lip, shaking his head side to side.

"Shanna-?" He asked pleadingly. Dana's eyes held the answer. Already he could hear sirens. The elevator down the hall dinged and he could hear a stampede of feet down the hallway. EMT's stormed in, Alex darting up and pointing to Dana. "Take care of her NOW."

He followed Dana's line of sight, overturning a couch with ease to find Shanna next to a shattered fishtank, little exotic fish bouncing and gasping for water. Immediatly he felt his stomach wrech. For the first time since his rebirth, Alex turned away and cupped his mouth. He gagged, unable to hold back the urge to vomit. He had seen flesh and limbs torn a thousand different ways at his own hands, but this.. this was too much.

Carefully he approached the barely concious Shanna. Her abdommen.. gone. As if a feral creature had torn into it and yanked the little life free. Shanna coughed, crimson spattering everywhere as it bubbled up from her throat. Alex carefully raised her hand, the other grasping her head weekly. "No Shanna, no no no.." He pleaded. He clenched his lips, trying to fight back the human urge to weep.

A second batch of EMT's made their way into the penthouse, stepping over the broken remainds of the countertop, gear in hands. They saw the blood, and Alex knealt over the body. "Sir let us handl--" One said, coming to a complete halt as he grabbed Alex' shoulder and knealt down to get a look at the injured.

Shanna was in awful shape- the EMT's knew it, Dana knew it, and Alex knew it. No amount of miracles could save her life now. Alex watched in agony as Shanna tried swallow the pain, only to cough again and shiver.

"Alex.. she has our baby.. she has Alexis... I heard her cry..." Shanna spoke, the sound muffled and garbled by the liquid filling her lungs. Alex knew nothing he could do would save her. He held her hand gently, brushing hair from her face as the first of many tears trickled from the corners of his eyes and splashed onto her cheeks.

"Don't die on me. Please Shanna.. Please.." He pleaded over and over, refusing to accept her mortality. He was immortal, why couldn't she be.

But now--He was as mortal as any other man. He was.. human..

"It's too late Alex.. I'm dying.. but our baby.. Alexis is out there, with that Monster-" Shanna paused long enough to cough again, trying to catch her breath. She was fading quick, from the bloodloss and the fluid filling her lungs. "You get.. your ass out there and find our baby... Promise me.." She clutched his hand as best she could, Alex returning the favor but still shaking.

"I promise.. but please Shanna. Don't--" He tried to fight her protests and still he was powerless to reverse mortality. He couldn't stop death- not this time.

"Alex.. That thing.. where you make someone part of you.. Will you.. do that to me.... Then tell Alexis everything I couldn't..." Her eyes bored straight into his own and he shook his head in horror. "Don't argue with me.. not now.."

He shook his head still, hanging it low. She clung to his hand, if weakly. "Shanna, I won't let you down.. I'm going to find Alexis.. raise her right.."

"I know you will. Everyone says you're a terrorist.. but.. They never got the chance to meet you..Im proud to say that I love you.." Another cough, her face twisting into one of agony as she cried in pain. Every nerve ending was firing rapidly. A cold sensation creapt up from her feet, making her shiver. Alex bent low, pressing his lips to hers for the last time, parting as he whispered to her.

"I love you too Shanna.." And with that, he glanced away as the unsettling sensation of the tendrils seeped forward from his body. They encased every inch of Shanna's dying form, and slowly her eyes closed. The smile faded from her lips as every inch vanished into an undisquishable substance that was quickly absorbed. The tendrils receeded, leaving Alex behind in a lonely heap of sorrow. Sobs wracked his frame as the EMT's stood by in horror. None dared move, fearing that the Manhattan killer would take their lives too. His eyes made connection with theirs but instead of rage and feral desires to kill, there was only emptyness like that of a lost dog.

Memories.. hundreds came flooding back simaltaniously. He gripped his head before arching back and letting out a blood curdling cry. Then as if struck by a bullet, Alex keeled over, gripping at his stomach in pain. Every muscle throbbed with fire and his blood boiled. Something had snapped internally. Something that held him back before was finally set free- a blood thirsty vengeful creature. The virus' potential, as it were.

To any mortal, the scene was horrific to watch. To make it worse, the whole world watched too, as a News chopper hovered just outside the window with a floodlight and cameras galore. It was a scene for all to see. Alex' jacket tore, giving way to a dark fleshy hide that pulsed and grew. His face gave way to a top and bottom row of teeth while his eyes sunk deep within to become black pits. Every muscle expanded, skin darkening as fingers became scythe like talons. Jeans gave way to a powerful set of legs. Human cries of pain and sorrow were turned into beastial roars. The sound was deafening, every human within earshot making an effort to shield themselves from its damaging pitch.

His chest rose and fell, bare and dripping with an oozy sweat. Nostrils flared wide at the tip of a snubbed Hunter-esque face. His eyes focused on Dana who looked upon him with worry. Then in one great leap he hurled himself from the building, nearly slicing through the news bird. Alex hit the ground with ground shattering force, leaving a crater several yards wide before bounding off at breakneck speeds. The chopper struggled to keep pace as it followed what they considered to be a mutation set loose beyond the Quarentine zone.

With each heavy step, his claws heaved up mounds of concrete as he burst through the checkpoint, shredding the metal fence. Militiant groups opened fire but their bullets did nothing more than to add fuel to the raging fire. The creature's mouth gaped wide in one defiant call, a name. Elizabeth. The news chopper completely ignored the No Fly zone and quickly blew past the Quarentine border over the river.

Nothing could stop that terrible thing- Bullets only angered him. Rockets seemingly bounced off his hide and the resulting explosion didn't stunt his speed. Cannon fire was like a light slap, only derailing him for a moment before he was back on course at violent speeds. In a matter of minutes after ripping through the gridwork that was manhattan, he'd arrived at the Gen-tek building. Most of the windows had been broken out with gunfire, the ground littered in debris from explosions, bodies, and any manner of unrecognisable matter.

He stood in the courtyard, raised up on what would be his hindlegs, stance reminscent to that of a bear. His nostrils flared, jaw agape to release a low beastial growl. Immediatly he inhaled, belting out an earsplitting roar to let his prey know he'd arrived. Only silence responded, followed by a gentle echoe. There was no gunfire, no helicopters. No car alarms.. Everything was silent. His eyes, black and hollow as they were, followed the contours of the gentek building and focused on a gaping hole. Sparks radiated out from shredded wires while wind blew loose glass segments free.

In an instant the beast hurled himself up onto the wall of the building, managing a jog up the vertical incline. One final vault landed him on the 51st floor, the heart of the crater.

And there, sitting on the same table onwhich he found her, was Elizabeth Greene- holding a bundle of cloth, stained with blood.

"I knew you'd come.. Such a dedicated father.."

Alex didn't respond, only letting out a low hiss of displeasure. This made Elizabeth giggle, the naked woman clutching the bundle closer protectively. She began to hum, singing a little tune..

"Hush little baby don't you cry, Mommy's gunna sing you a lullaby..."

He could only snort with anger, scratching at the floor. Inching closer, until finally he froze as Elizbeth snapped up to stare straight at him.

"Why..." He hissed, vocal cords barely forming the words. It came out as a metallic screech, gurgling deep in his throat.

"Why?" Another mocking laugh erupted from Elizabeth. Alex' patience was boiling over.

"Why should you.. get to keep your child.." A pause as she stood and set the bundle on the table. She began to approach Alex, mere feet from him. "When I couldn't keep mine.."

"Why Shanna.. She didn't.. have to die.." The beast took a few steps back, recoiling from her hand as she reached forward.

"She was doomed and you know it. You'll never have a normal life- or a normal child.. You would have only killed her someday." Another step closer, another step back. He growled, snapping at the air.

"I'm going to rip you apart. You won't even be A MEMORY!" Alex leapt into action, hurling his monstrous bulk towards Elizabeth with violent force. The two went flying into a nearby wall, Alex wrapping his fist 'round her skinny torso and squeezing with all his power. Her hands grasped at his own, pushing with enough force to counter his stength. Shocked, Alex felt his grip wane long enough for Elizabeth to nail his lower jaw with a bone-shattering kick. He released her, the spritely femme landing with the elegance of a butterfly.

He found himself pinned to a wall, neck grasped firmly in a writhing red fleshy tendril extending from Elizabeth's shoulder. Already her legs had begun to fuse, twisting her form into something wreched and disgusting. Tendrils reached out, grabbing the bodies of freshly killed soldiers, encasing them and dissolving them to an oily substance. Each little drop added to a snake-like tail that extended from her legs. The transformation complete, she rose up to tower above Alex, lifting his weight with the slick red tendril that now threatened to crush him alive. He was beggining to suffocate, chest rapidly rising and falling as he gasped for air.

With both hands, he grabbed at the tendril and twisted in opposite directions. With a quick pull, the tendrils snapped, whithering and breaking down into a disgusting ooze. Immediatly Elizabeth regenerated her limb. By the time she charged for another assualt, Alex was on his feet and making a mad dash. One great leap sent him high above her, swinging his talons like one single deadly blade. Her newfound figure granted her lighting-quick agility, dodging the attack with ease. She reeled around, massive tail slamming into Alex and sending him flying.

His mind blurred from the violent onslaught, reaching out to catch anything as he hurdled through the building, shattering one wall and colliding with another. He heard a resounding crack, going limp. Already he was beggining to weaken, using his biomass stores to repair his shattered spinal column. As Elizabeth slinked towards him, he stood and reared back for another charge.

The two collided in a fit of hisses and growls, Alex grappling onto the disgusting abomination that was Elizabeth as they hurdled towards the edge of the shattered concrete that made up the 51st floor. She attempted to keep from falling by grabbing into a piece of exposed rebar but it was too late. Fifty floors later, the two landed hard, Alex dominating the devastating attack. The ground shattered, debris and shattered concrete shredding Elizabeth's serpentine body on impact. She retaliated by swinging the greater bulk of her tail, throwing Alex to one side. He slid along the concrete, talons leaving substancial scars in the stone.

"I'll never be just a memory.." Elizabeth whispered, slithering from the crater before arching her arms high. Alex knealt low to retain balance as the ground shook beneath his feet, feeling the trembles get worse. Moments later, the concrete gave way to a good two dozen Hydras. Each one's head slplit, gaping maws giving way to a bloodcurdling chorus of screams.

Alex glanced around frantically. Two of these things were difficult enough to manage. But two dozen would quite literally tear him to shreds. They all screamed and hissed, tongues flailing as a display of power. One emerged right beneath Elizbeth and rapidly began to dissolve upon contact with her, merging with her already lengthy form. the remaining two dozen followed suit, disrupting the concrete as they surged towards their queen. Each added to her bulk, the final result of terrifying size-- towering around four stories tall.

Alex dodged to one side as the resulting creature's tail slammed down violently, the extremity massive enough to crush him with one fell swoop. She was large enough now that if she managed to grab ahold of him, he'd be engulfed in her grasp. Overhead he could see several helicopters circling. Immediatly they began to bombarding the monstrous thing with volleys of rockets and gunfire. It did little more than succeed in pissing her off. Using her powerful tail as a lift, she rose and swung one great arm at a few. One managed to dodge, the others erupting into violent explosions against her arm.

Something caught his attention though.. Each time a missle struck her right shoulder, she'd scream in pain. Perhaps, just perhaps.. If she'd used his genetic structure to rebuild herself, maybe she'd managed to adapt his abilities along with his weak point. His right shoulder, a seemingly unimportant location. However he understood why. He thought back to the fight with Captain Cross- and the substance he was injected with. The HAMMER parasite, if he remembered correctly. That was the exact point he'd been struck with the needle; the exact point from wich the resulting cancer began to eat away at his body.

Filled with a new resolve amidst the odds, Alex found the courage to leap atop the beast's great tail, digging each talon in as he scaled the length of her back, slashing as he went just to aggrevate her. The results were reassuring, Elizabeth howling in agony as he tore away. Upon reaching her right shoulder, he began to bombard the unusually scarred tissue with anything he could throw at it. Breathing a defiant roar, both arms shifted to his fondest offensive weapon aside from the blade- the biomass claws. Each time he dug in, he'd grip and pull out. fistfulls of flesh followed, until finally one great fisted talon burst entirely through the greater right half of her torso.

Now he'd gotten her attention, Elizabeth eagerly reaching for him. Each time he'd dodge to one side, claws dug in like climbing spikes. She attempted flailing, tossing her upper body about wildly in an effort to dislodge the pest. But Alex hung on for the ride, refusing to let go. Doging left and right, occassionally up as she reached around and under, he felt confident that he'd eventually weaken her enough to start doing irrepearable damage.

Overconfidence bred mistakes however, as a single mistep left Alex wide open. Elizabeth managed to grab his leg, hurling him around before tossing him in the air and clenching her fist 'round his form. Immediatly she started to squeeze, Alex struggling to counter her power. He felt her raise him higher, hand opening and releasing him a short distance above her gaped mouth.

He found himself plunged into darkness, massive muscles dragging him deeper and deeper into the belly of the abomination. Already tendrils began to grab and pull at him but as sliced one, three more would replace them. The space was uncomfortably confined as he slid further and further beyond the point of no return. His chest heaved, the lack of oxygen putting quite a damper on his cognition.

This was it- he was going to die, he knew it.

Memories.. a pleasent smile and the warm hearted face of a mother, a loving mother. His Shanna..

He couldn't give up now- not when everything he cared about had been wrapped up in that little white bundle and abandonned. He had to get back, he had to take his child into his arms and carry her home. He had to raise her right. He just..

His mouth gaped with an earsplitting cry as he balled up, body surging violently as fleshy tendrils amassed into spikes.

On the outside, the choppers discontinued their barrage, hovering harmlessly over Elizabeth as they circled curiously. She'd ceased her assaults, glancing down at the enlarged abdommen where her meal sat. A disgusting sight for sure as the mass shifted and writhed. Then a scream as a pain struck her. The beast flailed, attempting to dislodge the annoyance. Silence fell over the courtyard, only the hum of the choppers blades disturbing the stillness of the air.

Something was happening, something inside. In the blink of an eye, hundreds upon hundreds of thick spikes burst from Elizabeth's body, shredding it from the inside. She lacked the means to regenerate, eyes going blank as the gargantuan corpse toppled forward. The ground shook like an earthquake, a feeling Manhattan hadn't experianced since the warm fall morning in 2001.

For a while everything was silent, marines and Blackwatch hovering overhead. Each asked the same question- What had become of Mercer. Their questions were soon answered as talons thrust forth from the creatures abdommen, tearing outward to reveal a humanoid figure. Mercer gasped for air, crawling free from the fowl corpse and dragging himself away a few feet. He'd shifted back to the identity of Alex Mercer, clothed and breathing hard. The talons vanished, leaving the man drained and weaponless. His eyes closed, sure he'd be gunned down any second now by the squads of armed men overhead.

..But to his suprise, he heard no gunfire... Instead he heard.. cheering? At first it was just one guy, clapping and shouting but before long it was an entire chorus. The news chopper circled over head, shining a floodlight on the victor.

"--Yes we're live from the airspace over Gen-Tek, the coorperation responsible for the viral outbreak. What you've just witnessed ladies and gentlemen is something beyond the normal realm understanding. We believe the man you see now is Dr Alexander Mercer- the man wanted in connection with the release of the virus that ravaged Manhattan." The news woman shouted into her microphone as the camera zoomed into Mercer. The world watched as he finally rose to his feet, head raising to give a wayward glance to the choppers. Then he began to walk, approaching the first floor of the building before crouching low.

Dana rested in her hospital room, a series of devices and machienes monitoring her vitals. She watched the tv overhead and held her breath. The camera tracked the man's movements as he leapt a good 10 stories, latching onto the building and hurling himself upwards with violent force. The chopper dared fly closer, floodlight and camera watching intently.

Watching as Mercer approached the table- and the little white bundle. Its contents was anyone's guess-- except Dana's. She felt her heart leap.

Alex lifted the bundle, two fingers pulling back a segment of cloth to reveal the face of his baby girl. A smile graced his lips, eyes lighting up as he nudged her little face.

She didn't respond. Very gently he jostled the bundle, still no cry. His smile faded, excited eyes going grey as the realisation sunk in.

Slowly he replaced the veil over the childs face and made his way to the back of the Gen-Tek building. For a split second, the cameras and floodlight lost sight. That was all Mercer needed to vanish completely. Every chopper circled around but he was nowhere to be found.

Alex Mercer had just.. vanished, just as he did in the fall of 2009.


	12. Epilogue

The world had been holding its breath with anticipation; Holding its breath for any sign of infection. For any sign of the _terrorist._

A day passed, then a week, and finally a month. Dana was let out of her taxi infront of Hank's apartment, yellow caution tape stretched over its door. One strip blew in the unpleasently warm breeze, the air thick with the scent of oncoming rain as thunder rumbled gently overhead. With a sigh, she pulled down the tape and picked the lock. The inside had been left completely untouched, oddly enough, except...

Resting in the seat of Hank's old chair was a piece of paper. Dana lifted it, revealing a Cellphone- Alex' phone. Then she opened the letter:

"Dana. I apologise for not saying any of this to you in person, but I couldn't bare to watch you in the hospital room- knowing that it was my fault you were there.

As you and the rest of the world know by now, I've become a ghost. Please do not try to find me. Its for your own good.

But if you wish to visit what remains of me, then make your way to our fortress."

"Fortress?" Dana asked herself aloud, thinking deep and hard. A tree came to mind, a large old oak in the center of Central Park. They played there as children- called it their fortress. Dana was the Princess, her big brother the royal guard that defended her realm.. The thought brought tears to her eyes as his grip tightened on the paper, almost illegable handwriting scrawled across its surface.

"There you will find me.

I am sorry it happened this way. I'm sorry for everything- for disappearing for four years without telling you where I was. Sorry for dragging you into this conflict. Sorry for turning your life upside down.. Sorry I didn't listen to you when you warned me.

I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me, though that might be a bit much to ask.

Your Brother, Alex."

The final words left Dana in a sobbing heap in the old recliner, hands clenched around the cellphone and letter. Opening the face of the cellphone, she turned it on and smiled.

On its scratched screen was a picture Ragland had taken of them together after she'd awoken from her coma, a faint but pleasent smile painted onto her brother's face.

It had been raining heavily for several hours when Dana hailed another taxi. It ferried her to the bridge into Manhattan, now opened from the military quarentine. Most of lower Manhattan and all of Central Park had been reopened for occupation and visitation. With Greene officially dead, the corpse burned by Blackwatch and Mercer incommunicato, the infection only took another few days to stamp out. Infection rates were dropping and the world seemed to be recovering, even if their breath had still caught in their throats.

Now she was back in Manhattan for the first time she walked across that very same bridge with refugees those many months ago. She'd been dropped off at the middle-eastern edge of Central Park, paying her fair as the car idled. The park was quiet, aside from a few passer-bys. Everything was so clear- her mother holding her hand as her big brother walked beside her with a michevous grin. He was always getting into fights, beating the snot out of bullies that dared push Dana around.

Finally Dana came to a stop before a particularly gnarled oak tree, its roots erupting from the ground. She could almost see herself perched amidst the branches with Alex standing guard at its perimeter. But at its base sat a rock and a recently disturbed mound of dark soil. She knealt at the foot of the mound, recognising the rock as a gravemarker.

"Alexis Mercer

The greatest being we ever hoped to create."

The maxim almost made Dana laugh, if not for the fact that she had begun to cry. Flowers had begun to sprout in the unmaintained fields amidst the trees, Dana plucking a few of the healthier ones and placing them in a neat bundle atop the mound. A breeze rustled her hair as she bit her lip trying to stay calm.

Then as she turned to leave, she glanced one last time at the headstone, whispering, "Goodbye Alex."

Some 500 miles down Route 26 in Maryland, a car sputtered down the road, old tunes strumming from its radio as the driver sang along slightly offkey. He'd been putting along at a pleasent 55 miles an hour when he noticed a figure walking along the side of the road. A dark jacket, jeans and well-worn boots, head draped in a grey-brown hood.

He pulled off to the side of the road, rolling along slowly alongside the stranger, rolling down his passenger window.

"Where ya headed stranger?"

"Fort Detrick." the man answered, not even looking at the vehicle.

"I can give you a ride if you'd like. I'm headed there myself."

"Thanks but no thanks. I appreciate the offer but I'm rather enjoying the walk."

"Well suit'yer self. Can't blame me for tryin." And with that, the man sped off back at his casual 55 miles an hour.

Alex just continued walking, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. That was the 6th person to stop and ask him if he wanted a ride. He was quite fine on his own.

Another series of grueling miles later, Mercer came to the head of a long driveway paved in white concrete. It vanished into the guise of bushes and trees, but he knew damn well where it went.

"LEFT. LEFT. LEFT RIGHT LEFT." Screamed the drill seargent, parading his men around in formation, each in perfect unison. "FLIGHT, HALT." And they came to a stop. Their eyes remained trained on their guide as he held their flag high. The drill seargent paced side to side, calling his team to attention, then settling them at ease.

"Men our victory in-" the man froze, noticing a figure in a dark jacket and bloodstained jeans simply _walking_ into a military installation. He immediatly unholstered his glock, pointing it at the intruder. "STOP RIGHT THERE. HANDS IN THE AIR."

The intruder came to a stop and removed his hands from his pockets, raising them into the air, placing them behind his head as he was ordered to do so. The entire courtyard had come to a complete stop and every loaded M-4 had been pointed straight at his head.

A few faultered, one leaning to his buddy, "Hey.. doesn't that look like that Mercer guy from the Manhattan inccident?" More began to notice it, the intruder smiling as a response.

"I've come to give myself up." he said loudly, voice booming amidst the still air.

"Who are you?" the man with the pistol shouted.

"Alexander J Mercer."

The End.


End file.
